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Henri Matisse — Nu allongé
Henri Matisse

Nu allongé

"Nu allongé" (Reclining Nude) showcases Matisse's masterful ability to distill the human form into essential lines, capturing the sensuality and grace of a reclining figure through economical gestures rendered in brown ink. The work exemplifies the artist's mature drawing style, where minimal linework conveys volume, pose, and psychological presence without descriptive detail. By mounting the delicate ink study on card, Matisse preserved this intimate exploration of the female body, which remains central to his artistic investigation throughout his career.

Medium
brown ink on paper laid down on card

🔨 Auction Lot

Modern Discoveries

February 19, 2025

Estimate: $15,000$20,000

Lot 215

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About this work

Henri Matisse, Nu allongé

"Nu allongé" (Reclining Nude) showcases Matisse's masterful ability to distill the human form into essential lines, capturing the sensuality and grace of a reclining figure through economical gestures rendered in brown ink. The work exemplifies the artist's mature drawing style, where minimal linework conveys volume, pose, and psychological presence without descriptive detail. By mounting the delicate ink study on card, Matisse preserved this intimate exploration of the female body, which remains central to his artistic investigation throughout his career.

Medium
brown ink on paper laid down on card
Seen at
Sotheby's, New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris

Related themes

20th Century, Reclining Figure, Modernist, Fauvism, French Artist, Female Nude, Sensual and intimate, Decorative Composition, Expressive Color, Oil on Canvas

More works by Henri Matisse

Collected by

Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, Art Institute of Chicago