Woman on Rose Divan
1921
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
38 × 46 cm (15 1/4 × 18 1/8 in.)
Classification
oil on canvas
Department
Modern Art
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
27980
Art Historical Context
Henri Matisse’s *Woman on Rose Divan* (1921) captures a quiet moment of repose in a compact oil-on-canvas format. Painted during the artist’s years in Nice, the work reflects his ongoing fascination with intimate interiors and the female figure. The modest scale—only 38 by 46 centimeters—invites close viewing, allowing the rich rose tones of the divan and the soft modeling the figure to draw the viewer into a serene domestic world. Matisse, a central figure in modern art who helped launch Fauvism, here employs his signature sensitivity to color and pattern. Rather than dramatic contrasts, he ...
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...