Early Life and Artistic Beginnings Born: December 31, 1869, Le Cateau-Cambrésis, France Died: November 3, 1954, Nice, France Matisse's early life was marked by a period of illness in his youth which led him to pursue art as a hobby. He initially studied law but abandoned it to dedicate himself to painting. Early influences included Gustave Moreau and Édouard Manet, whose works he encountered during trips to Paris. His init…