Henri Matisse

Lumley Cazalet, London (acquired in 1981)
Private Collection, Europe (acquired circa 2000)
Sale: Sotheby's, London, June 23, 2010, lot 129
Acquired at the above sale

Executed on cream wove paper, not laid down, attached to the mount in all four corners, floating in the mount. All four edges of the sheet are deckled. There are artist's pinholes in the upper two corners. Apart from two minor areas of discolouration to the upper corners, due to previous mounting and some light studio dirt, this work is in very good condition.
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.

On the topic of female models in his drawings, Matisse once wrote, "My models, human figures, are never just 'extras' in an interior. They are the principal theme in my work. I depend entirely on my model, whom I observe at liberty, and then I decide on the pose that best suits her nature. When I take a new model, I intuit the pose that will best suit her from her un-selfconscious attitudes of repose, and then I become the slave of that pose" (quoted in Ernst Gerhard Güse, Henri Matisse, Drawings and Sculpture, Munich, 1991, p. 22). Drawn in 1928-29, the present work depicts three models reclining in an interior—a classic image in the oeuvre of Matisse and one that he would return to often in both his drawings and paintings. The artist executed Trois odalisques while living in Nice, on the southern coast of France, where he spent many of his later years. The lush and vibrant environment of the town served as immeasurable inspiration, giving rise to some of the most important works of his artistic career.

As Ernst Gerhard Güse wrote, "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" (ibid., p. 10).