Henri-Émile-Benoît Matisse ke janam Le Cateau-Cambrésis, Nord, France me bhais rahaa, lekin Bohain-en-Vermandois, Picardie, France me aapan bajpan ke din kaatis, jahan pe usle palwaar ke ek business rahaa. Henri sab se barra larrka rahaa. 1887 me uu Paris jaae ke wakiili parrhis aur pass kare ke baad Le Cateau-Cambrésis me ek court administrator ke kaam karis. 1889 me uu pahila dafe paint kare ke suruu karis, jab uske maiya use khatir art supplies kharidis, jab uu appendicitis se recover karat rahaa. Uu ek rakam ke ""swarag"" dekhis, jaise uu baad me batais, aur ii decide karis ki uu ek artist bani, jisse uske pitaji khush nai rahaa. 1891 me uu Paris laut ke Académie Julian me parhe lagaa aur William-Adolphe Bouguereau aur Gustave Moreau ke student banaa. Suruu me uu still-lifes aur landscapes traditional Flemish style me paint karis, jisme uu kaafi aage hoe gais. Chardin, Matisse ke taarif kare waala ek khaas painter rahaa. Jab uu ek art ke student rahaa tab uu chaar Chardin paintings ke Louvre me copy banais. 1896 me uu paanch paintings ke Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts ke salon me dekhais, aur sarkar isme se dui ke khariid liis. 1897 aur 1898 me uu, John Peter Russell ke lage Belle Île me gais, jon ki uske Impressionism ke paint kare ke sikhais. Matisse ke style puura badal gais aur uu baad me batais ki ""Russell uske guru raha aur Russell uske colour theory samjhais.