Henri Matisse

Mme Hervieux, Paris (sale: Maître Albert Le Blanc, Paris, 28th March 1974, lot F)
Private Collection, France (purchased at the above sale; sale: Sotheby's, New York, 6th November 2006, lot 523)
Private Collection, France (purchased at the above sale)
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Executed on cream laid paper, not laid down, taped to the overmount at intervals along all four edges. There are small pieces of restorers tape to the reverse of the sheet at all four corners. There is a 1cm. sq. repaired paper loss to the bottom left corner, a pinhead-sized paper loss to the left of the woman's head, and a 3cm. line of paper skinning. Apart from some light handling marks, this work is in good condition. Colours: The paper tone is warmer and more cream 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."

Executed in 1939 the present work may well be a study for the painting Danseuse en repos of 1940 and sees the artist referring to one of his favourite subjects: the Odalisque. The present work is a wonderful example of Matisse's quality as a draughtsman: the pen spontaneous in movement and yet completely controlled to capture the ambience of the moment, the essence of the pose. Though based in Nice in 1939 it was not uncommon for Matisse to refer back to his time in Morocco, as if in contemplation of his youth - his depiction of exotic women was a way of displaying an exuberance of spirit, a colour-filled representation of his glorious œuvre.

The artist himself once made the following remarks with regard to the subject that arguably dominates his oeuvre: 'The odalisques were the bounty of a happy nostalgia, a lovely, vivid dream, and the almost ecstatic, enchanted days and nights of the Moroccan climate. I felt an irresistible need to express that ecstasy, that divine unconcern, in corresponding colored rhythms, rhythms of sunny and lavish figures and color' (quoted in Jack Flam (ed.), Matisse: A Retrospective, New York, 1988, p. 230).