{"product_id":"tete-de-femme-by-henri-matisse","title":"Tête de Femme by Henri Matisse","description":"Henri Matisse\u003cbr\u003e 1869–1954 | French \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eTête de Femme\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Black crayon on light brown prepared paper \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 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 \u003cem\u003eTête de Femme\u003c\/em\u003e, Lydia Delectorskaya, Matisse's assistant and muse, was a constant presence in his studio. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 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. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 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. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 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 \u003cem\u003eHead of a Woman\u003c\/em\u003e employs a similarly bold, reductionist approach to distill the female visage into pure, expressive gesture. Drawings such as \u003cem\u003eTête de Femme\u003c\/em\u003e 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. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Circa 1948 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Paper: 18 1\/2\" high x 11 3\/4\" wide (46.99 x 29.85 cm)\u003cbr\u003e Framed: 28 1\/2\" high x 22\" wide x 1 1\/2\" deep (72.39 x 55.88 x 3.81 cm) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Provenance:\u003cbr\u003e Fernand Mourlot, Mourlot Frères, Rue Chabrol, Paris, by circa 1950\u003cbr\u003e Private collection, Paris\u003cbr\u003e M.S. Rau, New Orleans ","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45930789929095,"sku":"32-3152","price":88500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0083\/2471\/0466\/files\/32-3152_1.png?v=1790263270","url":"https:\/\/rauantiques.com\/products\/tete-de-femme-by-henri-matisse","provider":"M.S. Rau","version":"1.0","type":"link"}