Still Life with Goldfish I by Henri Matisse

Henri Matisse
(1869-1954) | French

Still Life with Goldfish I

Singed "Monotype / Henri Matisse"
Monotype on paper (chine collé)

This exceptional work of art encapsulates the genius of one of the greatest artists in art history, Henri Matisse. Completely fresh to the market, this monotype, entitled Still Life with Goldfish I, beautifully showcases Matisse's skill as a printmaker as well as one of the most significant motifs in his oeuvre—the goldfish—which is far more than just a symbol. 

This print is the first in a series of only six monotypes created between 1914 and 1915, a radical period marked by profound experimentation and innovation in Matisse's long career. Of these six prints featuring goldfish, two are proudly held by the Art Institute of Chicago, highlighting the prestige and rarity of these pieces. Matisse's foray into monotypes was powerful but brief, as he created only 69 in his lifetime, which makes Still Life with Goldfish I an exceptionally rare find.

As a monotype, a process that yields just one single print rather than multiple editions like other printmaking processes, Still Life with Goldfish I is a unique work of art, the only print of its kind. Matisse made his monotypes by coating copper plates—sometimes the very same plates he used in his famous etchings—in black ink; then, using a sharp tool, he made quick, masterful drawings into the ink that were lastly run through his printing press. This particular monotype reveals the artist's virtuosic mastery over line and movement. The simplicity of the composition—a matte black background against the fluid lines depicting two goldfish in a glass container, alongside a plant and a piece of fruit—exemplifies his ability to evoke emotion and movement through a minimalistic yet powerful visual language. Matisse's engagement with printmaking was an essential facet of his artistic exploration, and the period of 1913-1917 is celebrated as one of the most experimental and pivotal phases of Matisse's career.

The significance of this monotype extends beyond its rarity—it features a highly evocative, personal and important motif: the goldfish. Goldfish were a recurring and deeply meaningful motif for Matisse, appearing in more than nine major paintings during the 1910s. Beyond their vibrant hues, which complemented Matisse's quest for pure color in his compositions, goldfish offered a metaphorical layer to his work, representing an idyllic Golden Age and serving as a stand-in for the artist himself.

Matisse was renowned throughout his career for his versatility as an artist, and his vast oeuvre encompasses painting, drawing, sculpture, graphic arts, paper cutouts and book illustration. Perhaps one of art history's greatest draftsmen, he is today considered among the most influential artists of his era alongside Pablo Picasso, who was both a close confidante and friendly rival. Between 1914 and 1917, as World War I ravaged Europe and avant-garde Cubism dominated the Parisian art scene, Matisse experimented with printmaking and other radical ways of transforming his practice, and this crucial period has been the subject of much scholarship and important museum exhibitions.

Matisse's ability to see beauty in simplicity set him apart from his contemporaries and paved the way for the Abstract Expressionists, Minimalists and Pop artists who followed him. Still relevant today, his body of work continues to form the basis of retrospectives and exhibitions at important museums worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Tate Modern in London and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Rare monotypes such as this are held by the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Circa 1914-15

Image: 7 1/8" high x 5" wide (18.09 x 12.7 cm)
Frame: 14 5/8" high x 12 5/8" wide x 7/8" deep (35.17 x 32.07 x 2.22 cm)

To view the entire painting dossier on PDF please click: Still Life with Goldfish I by Henri Matisse

Provenance:
Private collection, France
Private collection, Florida

Literature:
Marguerite Duthuit-Matisse and Claude Duthuit, Henri Matisse: Catalogue raisonné de l’oeuvre gravé, with the collaboration of Françoise Garnaud, vol. 1 (C. Duthuit, 1983), p. 278, no. 351 (illustrated)
Stephanie D’Alessandro and John Elderfield, Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913–1917, exh. cat. (Art Institute of Chicago/Museum of Modern Art, New York/Yale University Press, 2010), p. 190-191, cat. 22p (illustrated)
Stephanie D’Alessandro, Matisse: Paintings, works on paper, sculpture, and textiles at the Art Institute of Chicago, 2019, cats. 21-22, figure 21-22.2 in curatorial entry (illustrated)