Sign up to Esquire's About Time newsletter, style director Johnny Davis’s straight-talking take on the wonderful world of watches.
“The Snail” is one of Henri Matisse’s final works.
An abstract piece that denotes that true artists never rest.
Finished in 1953, the year before the Frenchman's death, the large-scale collage on canvas falls under a series titled gouaches découpées: a group of works he stubbornly produced from bed – for “The Snail”, a fancy one in Nice's Hôtel Régina – where he spent almost all his days post-1948 due to ill health.
He cut and tore sheets of paper into shapes he found interesting and proceeded to paint them with a thick concoction made by mixing watercolours with gum. He had his assistant place these pieces on the canvas in the exact position he preferred, exercising total creative control over the project.
In the book Prestiges de Matisse, fellow artist André Verdet reveals the genesis of the work lies within a collection of drawings. “I first of all drew the snail from nature,” Matisse told Verdet. “I became aware of an unrolling, I found an image in my mind purified of the shell, then I took the scissors.”
Verdet goes on to highlight Matisse's exception use of colour. “He has combined pairs of complementary colours - red/green, orange/blue, yellow/mauve - to create a particularly vibrant effect.”
You can see the cut-out up close in London, at the Tate Modern.
Thanks to Swatch, you can also now wear an impression of the 71-year-old artwork on your wrist.
The Snail Swatch is one of the seven watches designed by the Swiss watchmaker for the launch of its brand-new partnership with the Tate. And although the timepieces inspired by Joseph Mallord William Turner's “The Scarlet Sunset” and Fernand Léger's “Two Women Holding Flowers” are close runners-up, and the rest, not so far behind, the Matisse offering is plainly the standout.
Of course, its appeal has much to do with its utter vibrancy; even for a Swatch, this thing is flamboyant. But, actually, it has more to do with the fact that, unlike its co-equals, the entire artwork is visible on the dial.
Quite simply, a miniature version of Matisse's showpiece – which, we must say, lends itself perfectly to being placed in the centre of a timepiece by reason of its spiral nature – is integrated into an icy blue transparent case.
This way, you can better flex your art knowledge – and your watch knowledge – when the conspicious accessory inevitably comes up in conversation. Put differently, it's so much easier to nerd out when you've got the entire work of art right there in front of you.
“As you can see,” you shall say quite pretentiously whilst pointing to your wrist, “Henri Émile Benoît Matisse knew a thing or two about colour theory”.
The Tate x Swatch collection is out now. Each watch is available in-store and online at Swatch and the Tate Shop for £96.
Joseph Furness is the Assistant Editor of Esquire, covering menswear and grooming. Joseph has previously written for the likes of British GQ, Mr Porter, Highsnobiety, Footwear News and Farfetch.
