Odalisque in Red Satin Pantaloons (Odalisque à la culotte de satin rouge)
1925
Medium
lithograph on china paper
Dimensions
image: 19 x 27 cm (7 1/2 x 10 5/8 in.) sheet: 28.8 x 35.9 cm (11 5/16 x 14 1/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of John and Evelyn Nef
Accession Number
1986.94.3
Art Historical Context
Henri Matisse's *Odalisque in Red Satin Pantaloons*1925) captures the artist's fascination with the exotic allure of harem women, a recurring theme in his Odalisque series from the 1920s. Created during Matisse's time in Nice, France, this lithograph depicts a reclining figure in vibrant red satin culottes, embodying his Fauvist roots through bold colors, flattened forms, and simplified contours. At a time when Europe was recovering from World War I, Matisse drew inspiration from Orientalist traditions—think Ingres and Delacroix—but infused them with modern exuberance, prioritizing emotional e...
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...