Nude in Three-Quarters with Part of Her Head Cropped Off (Nu de trois-quarts, une partie de la tête coupée)
1913
Medium
lithograph in black on Japanese vellum
Dimensions
sheet: 50.3 x 33 cm (19 13/16 x 13 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Andrew W. Mellon Fund
Accession Number
1977.42.1
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Henri Matisse’s 1913 lithograph captures a female figure in a three-quarter pose, with the deliberate cropping of part of her head drawing attention to the graceful contours of the body rather than a complete portrait. Printed in black on Japanese vellum, the sheet measures just over 50 by 33 centimeters. This intimate scale and the velvety paper surface allow the fluid lines to stand out with quiet intensity. Lithography suited Matisse’s interest in economical, expressive mark-making, enabling him to distill the nude to its essential rhythms. The medium’s capacity for soft tonal variation an...
About the Artist
Henri Matisse · 1869–1954
Henri Matisse (1869-1954) was a French painter, draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor who is widely regarded as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century and the greatest colorist of his era. Born in Le Cateau-Cambresis in northern France, Matisse initially studied law before discovering his passion for art during a period of convalescence at age 20. He became the leading figure of F...