Henri Matisse

Private Collection
Waddington Galleries, London
Private Collection (acquired from the above in March 1994. Sold: Sotheby's, London, 20^th June 2005, lot 30)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Executed on cream wove paper, not laid down, T-hinged to the mount on the reverse of the top two corners. There are artist's pinholes in all four corners and supporting Japan paper along the reverse of all four edges. Apart from some minor time staining to the extreme edges (not visible when framed), this work is in very good original condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate in the printed catalogue illustration, although the paper tone is slightly brighter in the original.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Matisse completed this elegant rendering of a female model at a point in his career when he had all but abandoned oil painting in favour of cut-outs.  His drawings of this period show his clear preference for linear compositions, as evidenced by the precision of the line used to render the model's features. In the present work, we can see how he has confidently applied his medium with smooth, sweeping gestures, while shading certain areas with an estompe technique to create shadow and definition in the flesh.

In his article Notes d'un peintre sur son dessin published in 1939, Matisse described the advantages of this particular medium which allowed him, he wrote, 'to consider simultaneously the character of the model, the human expression, the quality of surrounding light, atmosphere and all that can be expressed by drawing' (quoted in John Elderfield, The Drawings of Henri Matisse, London, 1984, p. 84). Elderfield notes that the medium of charcoal and estompe were 'especially attractive to [Matisse]... Both media were particularly suited to investigation of how tonal modelling could be reconciled with his longstanding concern for the decorative flatness of the picture surface. They permitted him to create an extraordinarily wide range of soft, closely graded tones, ranging from transparent, aerated greys to dense and sooty blacks, that appear to adhere to the flatness of the sheet, and to release especially subtle effects of light from the luminous whiteness of the paper. What is more, the volumes thus created stay 'light' in feeling despite their solidity, and it was this 'light', disembodied sense of volume that he sought in his painting too' (ibid., pp. 84-85).