Henri Matisse

Studio of the artist (sold to benefit the aid of cancer research)

Jacques Dubourg Gallery, Paris

Stephen Hahn, New York

Acquired from the above before 1959

Executed on white laid paper. The charcoal is in excellent condition. The edges of the sheet are darkened about 1/2 inch. Traces of the hinging material are present on the front of the composition at the upper left and right corners. On the verso, the sheet is hinged at the upper left and right corners.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Matisse's highly finished charcoal drawings date from the early 1920s while the artist was working in Nice.  In these works, drawing was as much a subtractive process as it was an additive one.  Matisse rubbed an eraser, or estompe, over areas of the primary charcoal rendering to create tonal gradation, highlights and the illusion of depth.  The white of the sheet was just as important as the lines and smudges of his medium, as we can see in this intimate and atmospheric depiction of two young women posing with an open book.

Matisse's estompe compositions enabled him to explore the effect of light surrounding and reflecting off of his models.  The variant tonality that he could achieve with this medium was so artistically rewarding that he often spoke of these pictures as offering a respite from the limitations of color.  Reflecting on the expressive power of his charcoal drawings, Matisse once commented, "They generate light; looked at in a poor, or indirect light, they contain not only quality and sensibility, but also light and difference in values corresponding obviously to color" (H. Matisse, reprinted in Matisse as a Draughtsman (exhibition catalogue), The Baltimore Museum of Art, 1972, p. 18).