- 383
Henri Matisse
Estimate
300,000 - 500,000 USD
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Description
- Henri Matisse
- Nu allongé
- Signed Henri Matisse and dated 5.43 (lower right)
- Charcoal on paper
- 15 by 22 1/8 in.
- 38.2 by 56.3 cm
Provenance
Galerie Beyeler, Basel
Galerie Maeght Lelong, New York
Gimpel & Hanover Galerie, Zurich
Acquired from the above in 1986
Galerie Maeght Lelong, New York
Gimpel & Hanover Galerie, Zurich
Acquired from the above in 1986
Condition
This work is in very good condition. Executed on cream wove paper, not laid down. The sheet is hinged to the mat on the verso of the upper corners. There are artist's pinholes in each of the corners.The edges are deckled. There is some light discoloration to the sheet and a few scattered tiny spots of foxing.
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.
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.
Catalogue Note
Matisse was without question one of the twentieth century’s most gifted and innovative draughtsmen.The style of his drawing reached its peak during the 1930s and 1940s as he continued to explore the unique qualities of the estompe technique in which charcoal is rubbed to a fine hazy appearance with highlights erased, creating a subtle luminosity in his figures and their settings.
After a major operation in 1941, Matisse was largely relegated to his bed and chair, and drawing became ever more vital a means of artistic expression. Throughout the 1940s he drew obsessively, creating numerous works on paper using a variety of techniques, but favoring two in particular—charcoal and ink. "My line drawing is the purest and most direct translation of my emotion. The simplification of the medium allows for that" (quoted in Ernst-Gerhard Güse, ed., Henri Matisse, Drawings and Sculpture, Munich, 1991, p. 219). Matisse utilized even the most nuanced qualities of both techniques and produced many remarkable images, however charcoal was almost exclusively employed to depict the female figure, and it was through this particular medium in which he created the definitive works on paper of his career.
After a major operation in 1941, Matisse was largely relegated to his bed and chair, and drawing became ever more vital a means of artistic expression. Throughout the 1940s he drew obsessively, creating numerous works on paper using a variety of techniques, but favoring two in particular—charcoal and ink. "My line drawing is the purest and most direct translation of my emotion. The simplification of the medium allows for that" (quoted in Ernst-Gerhard Güse, ed., Henri Matisse, Drawings and Sculpture, Munich, 1991, p. 219). Matisse utilized even the most nuanced qualities of both techniques and produced many remarkable images, however charcoal was almost exclusively employed to depict the female figure, and it was through this particular medium in which he created the definitive works on paper of his career.