Woman with a Bouquet (Femme au bouquet)

Artist Henri Matisse (French, 1869–1954)

Date1922–1926

Mediumoil on canvas

Dimensionscanvas: 66 x 50.5 cm (26 x 19 7/8 in.)

ClassificationsPaintings

Credit LineGift of Mrs. R.L. Riley

Terms

Object number1978.124

Label TextGaining fame for his emotional, dissonant Fauve paintings in the early 1900s (exemplified in this gallery by Braque’s Olive Trees), by the 1920s, Matisse radically shifted his painting style. These new works focused on a more conservative approach to the mood and character of his sitters. The revival of natural colors and figures in Matisse’s paintings responds to the increasingly guarded and nationalistic political climate in France, and are part of a broader “return to order” characteristic of much European art following World War I. Many of Matisse’s studio interiors from the 1920s evince a sense of tranquility and order. Here, Matisse crisply delineates forms and presents a woman whose demeanor is ambiguous. The wall’s vibrancy characterizes his career-long interest in color. However, here he mutes his usual bold palette to create a sense of calm. ProvenanceFearon Galleries, New York City; T. Catesby Jones; Louisa Brooke Jones; Mrs. R.L. Riley (Mary C. Riley), Petersham MA

On View

Not on view