Henri Matisse

Mme Garnier, Cannes
Yves Wetterwald, Nice
Galerie Sauveur Bismuth, Paris  (acquired from the above)
Jeffrey H. Loria & Co., New York (acquired from the above)
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Lydia Delectorskaya, Henri Matisse: Contre vents et marées; Peinture et livres illustrés de 1939 à 1943, Paris, 1996, no. 16, illustrated p. 231

Executed on cream wove paper, laid down on board. Apart from some handling marks to the edges and some light time staining and surface dirt to the sheet, this work is in very good condition. Colours: The paper tone is slightly creamer 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."

Following the publication of the much-lauded series Dessins: Thèmes et Variations in 1943, Matisse continued to explore the expressive power of line drawing.  Inspired in large part by his fascination with Islamic Art, the works on paper from this period are characterized by an elegant and graceful simplicity. Although Matisse was suffering from deteriorating health when he executed the present work, the composition exhibits no signs of a corresponding decline in his artistic talent.

Matisse often spoke of how the act of drawing was integral to his approach to oil painting, but it is important to realize that his compositions in pen and ink are complete works in their own right.  Ernst Gerhard Güse has written, "There is nothing provisional about his drawings: they are complete, finished works, resulting from an extended process of identification.  The line which encircles the objects supplied a final, conclusive definition.  Through the connection between the line and the artist's emotions, his inner life, the drawing becomes an act of assimilation, taking possession of nature" (Ernst Gerhard Güse, Matisse, Drawings and Sculpture, Munich, 1991, p. 10).