Little Aurore (Petite Aurore)
1923
Medium
lithograph on china paper
Dimensions
image: 13 x 20.1 cm (5 1/8 x 7 15/16 in.) sheet: 28.3 x 36.5 cm (11 1/8 x 14 3/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of John and Evelyn Nef
Accession Number
1986.94.2
Art Historical Context
Henri Matisse's *Little Aurore (Petite Aurore)*, created in 1923, the artist's masterful shift toward intimate portraiture in print form. This lithograph on delicate china paper depicts a young subject with Matisse's signature simplified forms and fluid lines, hallmarks of his post-Fauvist style. By the early 1920s, after years of bold color experiments, Matisse had settled into a phase of serene elegance, often working in Nice, France, where he explored the human figure with graceful economy. Lithography suited Matisse perfectly, allowing the greasy crayon to produce painterly effects akin t...
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...