Henri Matisse

Henri Matisse, the art world's equivalent of a rock star in a respectable suit, traded a stuffy law career for a vibrant life of color after a bout of appendicitis. He became the leader of the "wild beasts" of Fauvism, splashing canvases with hues that had little to do with reality. Rumor has it that his frenemy, Picasso, and his entourage once used a portrait of Matisse's daughter for a dartboard, a tale that, if true, adds a feisty layer to their legendary rivalry. Later in life, when confined to a wheelchair, he didn't slow down but invented a new way to "paint" with scissors, creating his famous cut-outs. One story, likely embellished, claims that after a disappointing trip to a local pool with no divers, he simply went home to create his own magnificent paper version.