Nu bleu IV, 1952 by Henri Matisse Framed Print

Size

Medium (up to 36in.)

Frame is sturdy and in good condition with minor scratches on the outside. 36" x 28 1/2" Nu Bleu IV is Matisse's most elaborate figure study in gouache decoupee, with the exception of the Barnes mural studies, Precursor B, which were not intended as independent works. Following his liturgical designs for the Vence chapel, Matisse returned to the human figure in this traditional and familiar pose, stressing both the decorative alignment of limbs and the compact sculptural mass. Although he had used this pose throughout his career in numerous paintings, and particularly in sculpture, Matisse apparently felt compelled to renew his understanding of the nude figure before attempting to render it in terms of cut and pasted paper. To this end he made numerous drawings in pen, pencil, and colored pencil of the seated nude - relating the parts of the figure to one another and to the proportions of the sheet of paper.