Henri Matisse

Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Paris (acquired directly from the artist, April 19, 1921)

The Independent Gallery (P.M. Turner), London (acquired from the above

October 27, 1921)

Galerie Daniel Malingue, Paris

Private Collection (acquired from the above)

Sale: Christie's, New York, May 9, 2000, lot 519

Private Collection, San Francisco

New York, C&M Arts, Figurative Art from the 20th Century, 1999, no. 4, illustrated in color in the catalogue

Guy Patrice &  Michel Dauberville, Henri Matisse, vol. II,  Paris, 1995, p. 1009, no. 475, illustrated

Excellent condition. Original canvas. Under UV light, there are 2 tiny spots of fluorscences in the green fabric at bottom right edge. Otherwise, the work is in lovely 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.

The nude model posing in a lounge chair was a popular subject for Matisse in the early 1920s, and his focus on the supple curves of her body is beautifully executed in the present work.  Many of Matisse's early Nice pictures are, as John Elderfield has described them, "harmonious, light-filled, and often profusely decorated interiors, with languorous and seductive models, that sacrificed the interest of the avant-garde, an interest he regained only slowly in later years.  Matisse rejoiced in the light of Nice; color was subordinated to it. Thus, the flat, arbitrary colors of his preceding paintings, both 'decorative' and 'experimental,' were replaced by a much broader range of soft tonalities that convey how reflected light will suffuse an interior, associating whoever or whatever is within it. Light is almost palpable in these paintings. Their sensuality and the quality of meditation they afford both depend on the gentle pulsation of light through them. Often, the pulsation of pattern will form an accompaniment" (J. Elderfield, Henri Matisse, A Retrospective (exhibition catalogue), The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1992-93, p. 289).