Henri Matisse

The Leicester Galleries, London
Waddington Galleries, London
The Lucille & Martin Kantor Foundation (and sold: Sotheby's, New York, November 16, 1989, lot 196)
William Acquavella Galleries, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner

New York, Museum of Modern Art, The Drawings of Henri Matisse, 1984, no. 80, illustrated in the catalogue
London, The Hayward Gallery, The Arts Council of Great Britain, The Drawings of Henri Matisse, 1984-85, no. 80, illustrated in the catalogue

Pierre Schneider, Matisse, New York, 1984, illustrated p. 637
John Elderfield, The Drawings of Henri Matisse, New York, 1985, no. 80, illustrated p. 270
Isabelle Mondo-Fontaine, Matisse, Paris, 1989, illustrated p. 230

Work is in very good condition. Executed on cream wove paper. Hinged to mount at top edge in four places with Japan paper. Edges are deckled. Artist's pinholes at upper corners. Minor repairs visible at all four corners. Minor surface dirt. Line is quite strong. On verso, an authentication from Wanda de Guebriant from 2008 is inscribed.
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.

This work was executed in Nice in 1935.  According to information provided by Margerite Duthuit-Matisse, the present work is one of a series of ink drawings of reclining nudes Matisse executed from 1935-37.  The models are posed in the studio against a highly decorative background: "using unshaded line drawing Matisse investigates here the flowing arabesque, the figure-ground relationship, and the whiteness of the paper as a source of light and color projected against a profusely patterned background" (Elderfield, op. cit., p. 270).