Lot 31
HENRI MATISSE (FRENCH 1869-1954) §
SEATED YOUNG WOMAN WITH A BOUQUET OF FLOWERS
Modern British and Contemporary Art
Auction: 17 January 2018 at 11:00 GMT
Description
1923, signed in pencil to margin and numbered 47/60, lithograph
Dimensions
29cm x 20.5cm (11.5in x 8in)
Footnote
Note:
Seated Young Woman with a Bouquet of Flowers reflects Matisse's key interests in print-making. The subject is a young woman, surrounded by decorative patterns. He creates a bold composition, by angling different patterns against each other. There are the expected visual patterns - the floral pattern in the sitter's blouse, and on the vase, and the bold horizontal striping of the blinds behind her, but these are juxtaposed with patterning created by the artist to add depth and texture, his graphic mark-making in the table surface and the distant sky. It has been suggested that even when working in monochromatic prints, Matisse's works have the sense of being colourful. That is true here. We can easily imagine the bold colours that would feature in an oil painting version, especially in the bold patterning, yet the monochromatic simplicity allows Matisse's compositional insight, and ability to manipulate the qualities of lithography, to really shine.