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Tête de Femme by Henri Matisse
- This is a brilliantly rendered line drawing from Matisse’s later years
- Drawn around 1948, the drawing exudes a profound sense of quiet repose
- The work showcases his command of linear restraint and profound emotional clarity
- Matisse remains one of the pillars of twentieth-century modernism
- Get complete item description here
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1869–1954 | French
Tête de Femme
Black crayon on light brown prepared paper
This remarkable drawing by Henri Matisse captures a woman in quiet repose, presented in a three-quarter view. Portrayed with a composed, neutral expression and soft curls swept back at the hairline, her features are delicately suggested. Drawn circa 1948, it exemplifies his late mastery of graphic economy and expressive purity. During this creative period that produced Tête. . .
1869–1954 | French
Tête de Femme
Black crayon on light brown prepared paper
This remarkable drawing by Henri Matisse captures a woman in quiet repose, presented in a three-quarter view. Portrayed with a composed, neutral expression and soft curls swept back at the hairline, her features are delicately suggested. Drawn circa 1948, it exemplifies his late mastery of graphic economy and expressive purity. During this creative period that produced Tête de Femme, Lydia Delectorskaya, Matisse's assistant and muse, was a constant presence in his studio.
Executed in black crayon, the portrait reveals a striking bravado in its mark-making. Works made during Matisse’s final decades were more deliberate and measured, a quality seen in this particular work through the carefully balanced contours of the woman’s features against the open paper.
Preserved in exceptional condition, this artwork descended directly through the family of master printer Fernand Mourlot, remaining in private hands for 70 years. Created in direct anticipation of a major lithograph, the piece highlights the vibrant creative dialogue between Matisse's hand and Mourlot's printmaking genius in Paris.
Few artists shaped modern art as profoundly as Matisse. Throughout his lifetime, he increasingly distilled his compositions to their essential elements, using line as a primary vehicle of expression. A closely related drawing in the Art Institute of Chicago entitled Head of a Woman employs a similarly bold, reductionist approach to distill the female visage into pure, expressive gesture. Drawings such as Tête de Femme demonstrate the mastery that made him one of the defining artists of the 20th century, while related works are held in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Musée Matisse in Nice.
Circa 1948
Paper: 18 1/2" high x 11 3/4" wide (46.99 x 29.85 cm)
Framed: 28 1/2" high x 22" wide x 1 1/2" deep (72.39 x 55.88 x 3.81 cm)
Provenance:
Fernand Mourlot, Mourlot Frères, Rue Chabrol, Paris, by circa 1950
Private collection, Paris
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
| Maker: | Matisse, Henri |
| Period: | 1919-Present |
| Origin: | France |
| Type: | Drawings |
| Style: | Modernism |
| Depth: | 1.5 in. (3.81 cm) |
| Width: | 22.0 in. (55.88 cm) |
| Height: | 28.5 in. (72.39 cm) |
| Canvas Width: | 11.750 in. (29.85 cm) |
| Canvas Height: | 18.500 in. (46.99 cm) |
Buy With Confidence
For over a century, we've placed important art, rare jewels and exceptional objects with more than 14,000 collectors worldwide, and have been recognized by trusted publications including Robb Report, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and more.
On Approval
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125% Guarantee
Full credit plus 5% annual appreciation for five years
Trusted Expertise
Over two centuries of combined experience across our specialists
