Dimensions

31.5 × 23.5 cm (12½ × 9¼ in.)

Provenance

The artist's studio.

Pierre Matisse, New York. The artist's son and one of the most influential dealers of twentieth-century European art in America.

La Fondation Pierre et Tana Matisse. Established in 1995 by Tana Matisse, the Foundation has preserved and promoted the exceptional collection of works inherited by Pierre Matisse from his father.

Authentication

The authenticity of the drawing has been confirmed by George Matisse, the artist's grandson. A Certificate of Authenticity accompanies the work.

Condition

In very good condition.

Catalogue Note

Executed circa 1930, Nu, Jambes Croisées is a beautifully distilled example of Henri Matisse's lifelong exploration of the female figure. Throughout his career, drawing formed the foundation of Matisse's artistic practice, allowing him to reduce the complexities of the human body to a series of fluid, expressive lines of extraordinary elegance and precision.

The present work exemplifies the remarkable economy that characterises Matisse's mature drawings. With seemingly effortless confidence, a handful of continuous pen strokes define the pose of the seated nude, conveying both structure and movement while eliminating all unnecessary detail. The resulting composition possesses the balance, harmony and lyrical simplicity that became hallmarks of the artist's graphic language.

During the late 1920s and early 1930s, Matisse increasingly sought what he described as "the essential character" of his subjects. Rather than modelling form through elaborate shading, he relied upon the expressive power of line alone. This approach transformed drawing from a preparatory exercise into an independent artistic statement, capable of conveying both psychological presence and sculptural form through the simplest of means.

The drawing is distinguished by exceptional provenance. Passing directly from the artist's studio to Pierre Matisse—the artist's son and one of the foremost dealers of modern art in the United States—it subsequently entered the collection of the Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, dedicated to preserving the family's holdings. Further supported by confirmation from George Matisse, the artist's grandson, the work benefits from an unbroken chain of ownership within the Matisse family.

Combining the immediacy of an original drawing with impeccable provenance and family authentication, Nu, Jambes Croisées represents a rare opportunity to acquire an intimate and highly characteristic work by one of the defining masters of twentieth-century art.