Description:This very famous image of the reclining nude executed in 1922 was an important precursor to the artist’s fascination with the odalisque, a theme which he would further explore starting in 1923.
This work is printed on Chine volant and is from the first edition of a 100 proofs of which less than 85 examples were signed by the artist. Later, in a reduced and unsigned format, this work was published in a 1925 volume edited by Frapier entitled “Les peintres lithographes de Manet à Matisse”. An example of the work is currently held in the collection of the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris. This present image is however from the earlier edition prior to the reduction of the plate.
In the model’s positioning and attitude, one can see the artist developing his studies for the forthcoming series of paintings and graphic works which would feature the odalisque. Matisse first became fascinated by the theme of the odalisque upon viewing works by Ingres and Delacroix in the Louvre. Quoting the French artist Gustave Courbet, Matisse once stated, “I have simply wished to assert the reasoned and independent feeling of my own individuality within a total knowledge of tradition.” Within this context, Le Repos du Modèle is Matisse’s personal interpretation of tradition as well as a reflection of his independent aesthetic.
Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
It is fully documented and referenced in (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that I will accompany the final sale of the work) :
1) Duthuit-Matisse, Marguerite and Claude Duthuit. Henri Matisse: Catalogue Raisonné de l’Œuvre Gravé - Tome II, Paris, 1983. Listed and illustrated as cat. no. 416 on pgs. 26-7.
About the Framing:
This work is mounted in an ornately carved Spanish-style frame with floral motifs intricately engraved in each of the 4 corners. Its subtle bronze highlights contrast nicely with the black accents along each side of the frame, emphasizing nicely Matisse’s use of light and shadow with Le repos du modèle. The framing is complete with a white, linen-wrapped mat and a matching bronze inner fillet set behind an archival, Plexiglass cover.
