Comparing the First & Last Paintings of Famous Artists

Henri Matisse found his true calling while stuck in bed. He painted Still Life with Books and Candle in 1890 while recovering from appendicitis. It was a dark, hyper-realistic piece that looked like an old Dutch painting. In 1953, terminal illness kept him from holding a paint brush, so he created The Snail. This giant, abstract piece was composed entirely of ripped pieces of colored paper.