Henri Émile Benoît Matisse was born in Le Cateau in northern France on 31 December 1869. Early in his career he was the leader of the FauvistMovement, (meaning Wild Beasts).

The first painting of Matisse acquired by a public collection was Still Life with Geraniums (1910), it was exhibited in the Pinakothek der Moderne. In 2002 the Matisse sculpture, Reclining Nude sold for $9.2 million (US), a record for a sculpture by the artist.

The Plum Blossoms a (1948) was purchased on the 8 September 2005 for the Museum of Modern Art by Henry Kravis, the estimated price was $25 million(US).

(The Plum Blossom)