Dancer Resting
Artist: Henri Matisse (French, 1869-1954)
Date: 1940
Dimensions:
Painting: 32 × 25 1/2 in. (81.3 × 64.8 cm)
Frame: 40 1/4 × 34 1/4 × 4 in. (102.2 × 87 × 10.2 cm)
Medium: oil on canvas
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. C. Lockhart McKelvy
Object number: 1947.54
Label Text:Painted just before Henri Matisse abandoned painting for designs composed of paper cutouts, Dancer Resting incorporates interests that occupied him throughout his career: the human figure, bright colors, varied lines, and patterns, all given equal attention.
The woman, Lydia Delectorskaya (Russian, 1910–1998), Matisse’s favorite model at the time, leans back in her chair, her legs casually splayed. She gazes out matter-of-factly at the viewer, at ease with herself. One of Matisse’s paintings of nudes rests on an easel in the upper right and provides a self-referential wink to the viewer. House plants and the large blocks of color on the floor create patterns that reflect Matisse’s lifelong interest in decorative motifs.
Delectorskaya remained with Matisse as a studio manager, model, secretary, and finally, caregiver, until his death in 1954. Enigmatically known only as “Madame Lydia” to studio visitors, she was pivotal in helping to produce his late work when his health was in rapid decline.
The woman, Lydia Delectorskaya (Russian, 1910–1998), Matisse’s favorite model at the time, leans back in her chair, her legs casually splayed. She gazes out matter-of-factly at the viewer, at ease with herself. One of Matisse’s paintings of nudes rests on an easel in the upper right and provides a self-referential wink to the viewer. House plants and the large blocks of color on the floor create patterns that reflect Matisse’s lifelong interest in decorative motifs.
Delectorskaya remained with Matisse as a studio manager, model, secretary, and finally, caregiver, until his death in 1954. Enigmatically known only as “Madame Lydia” to studio visitors, she was pivotal in helping to produce his late work when his health was in rapid decline.
On view
In Collection(s)