Matisse, Henri (1869-1954)
Nu couché (Reclining Nude)
1923–1924
Oil on canvas, 60 x 92 cm
Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia
Matisse painted this work in Nice, a city in the South of France that he visited frequently in the 1920s. The canvas is one of several executed at this time of a female nude reclining in front of a patterned folding screen. All are studies in color and composition: the screen serves to flatten and structure the composition, as the vertical panels segment the model’s body. The figure cuts a dynamic diagonal across the picture plane, which seems to tilt up and toward the viewer. The vibrant palette of yellow and pink heightens the sensuality of the model’s pose. (BF)