Printer: Henri Matisse. Signed and numbered from the edition of 250.

Dimensions: 50 x 40 cm

Condition: Very Good

Frame: Framed in Black.

Description: Etching on Chine appliqué on Arches Velin paper, 1932. Signed and numbered from the edition of 250.

This work is a highly renowned etching commissioned specifically for the Print Club of Cleveland. The club was famous for commissioning graphic works from the best European modernists.  Matisse conveys the sensual twist of Lisette Löwengard's body using a minimum number of lines. There is no shading or cross-hatching; the light and form are defined purely by the rhythmic contours of the line. During this phase of their collaboration, Matisse was intensely studying classical sculpture, particularly Michelangelo's allegorical reclining figures. Lisette's frame and posing flexibility allowed Matisse to capture these dramatic, sculptural twists, while keeping the actual lines completely minimalist and free of shadows. 

Artist: Henri Matisse (1869-1954) the French artist, draughtsman, printmaker, sculptor and painter was one of the undisputed masters and influential artists of 20th century art. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and would quickly become the leader of the fauvist movement. He was known for his use of brilliant colour, inspired by his time on the French Riviera, and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was one of the three artists, along with Picasso and Marcel Duchamp, who began to revolutionise the artworld from the 1900s. For over 60 years, his vast output included painting, drawing, sculpture, graphic arts – etchings, linocuts, aquatints, paper cut-outs and book illustrations. And he worked with Mourlot studios on lithographs and exhibition posters.