Artwork
Odalisque au fauteuil
Odalisque au fauteuil is an oil painting by the Fauvist artist Henri Matisse. It dates from 1928 and is held in the collection of the Musée d'art moderne de Paris.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1928, this oil painting by Henri Matisse portrays a reclining female figure on a upholstered chair. The work belongs to the collection of the Musée d’art moderne de Paris and exemplifies the artist’s mature period, when he continued to investigate vivid coloration and reduced forms.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is a woman turned toward the left, dressed in a blue, floral‑patterned gown. Her posture, right arm resting on the chair back, left arm bent near her face, legs crossed, conveys a relaxed, poised elegance. Small details such as a bracelet on her right ankle accentuate the intimate, domestic atmosphere.
Technique & Style
The background wall is rendered in a bright red with a pattern of black geometric motifs, while a blue vase and a red checkered box punctuate the floor space.
Matisse employs flat, saturated hues, dominant blues, reds, and blacks, arranged in broad, simplified shapes. The background wall is rendered in a bright red with a pattern of black geometric motifs, while a blue vase and a red checkered box punctuate the floor space. The composition reflects his continued interest in decorative patterning and the flattening of space characteristic of his later work.
History & Provenance
Painted toward the end of Matisse’s career, the piece entered the Musée d’art moderne de Paris, where it remains on display. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s focus on early‑20th‑century French modernism and the artist’s prominent role within that narrative.
Context
Although best known for his leadership in Fauvism, a movement noted for non‑naturalistic color and expressive brushwork, Matisse’s later oeuvre, including this work, moves toward a more decorative, ornamental approach. The odalisque motif, drawn from Orientalist themes, allowed him to explore exotic costume and interior settings while maintaining his signature emphasis on color harmony.
Artist & collection
Artist
Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (French:; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship.
