Untitled

Untitled

Henri Matisse

1918

ink

From the collection of Museum of Modern Art

About this work

This drawing shows a simple, loose outline of a reclining nude figure. The lines are light and sketchy, with just enough detail to suggest the person’s pose and shape. The background is plain, leaving all focus on the figure’s relaxed form. The artist used a mix of ink and paper layers to create the image. This method, called chine collé, lets them build up shapes with different textures. Next, check out how etching works as a printmaking technique.

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