Matisse, Henri (1869-1954)
Femme devant un aquarium (Woman before an Aquarium)
1921–1923
Oil on canvas, 81.2 × 100.2 cm
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago
In the first two decades of the 20th century, Henri Matisse visited exhibitions of Islamic art and traveled to Algeria and Morocco, where he collected pottery, textiles, and tiles. Years later while living in Nice, France, Matisse reflected on these experiences, integrating visual elements he encountered, such as the patterned textile screen, into his paintings. In Woman before an Aquarium, the carefully subdued decorative pattern of the screen contributes to the psychologically rich, contemplative mood of this interior scene. (AIC)