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Nude on a Red Background - Henri Matisse - Oil Painting for Hallway brings gallery-caliber art into everyday spaces. This portrait oil painting is a 100% hand painted oil painting on canvas, created for buyers who want genuine fauvist canvas wall art instead of a mass-produced poster or paper print.
Nu sur fond rouge, 1922
Oil on canvas
Private collection.
Painted in 1922, the statuesque figure at the heart of Henri Matisse’s Nu sur fond rouge stands elegantly poised before an array of sumptuous red fabrics, her lithe form bathed in the rose-tinted light of their reflections as she gazes unflinchingly at the viewer. A sensuous depiction of the artist’s favourite model of the period, Henriette Darricarrère, this painting embodies many of the key elements which marked Matisse’s explorations of the odalisque theme during the early years of the 1920s. The artist had first met Henriette while she was working as a film extra in the newly opened Studios de la Victorine on the western outskirts of Nice. Captivated by her beauty and athletic physique he invited her to model for him, and later expressed his admiration for her inherent poise, gracefulness and elegance, even complimenting the manner in which her head sat upon her neck. Trained as a dancer, Henriette’s muscular body offered a sharp contrast to the soft curves of Matisse’s previous model, Antoinette Arnoud, with the artist particularly fascinated by the manner in which her shapely, well-defined form captured the fall of light like a sculpture. Taking the position of the artist’s studio assistant, Henriette swiftly came to be considered part of the family, with his wife and daughter both developing a close friendship with the young model during the seven years she worked for Matisse. It was with Henriette that the artist began to fully explore the potentials of the odalisque theme in his art, expanding upon the traditional conception of the subject and translating it into a distinctly modern subject.
The odalisque, or concubine, was one of the most prevalent motifs of nineteenth-century Orientalism, a sensual figure plucked from a European fantasy of life in the East. Providing a glimpse into the forbidden space of the harem, these figures were often shown semi-nude, dressed in exotic costumes made from diaphanous materials, their bodies adorned with sumptuous gold jewellery and glittering stones. Towards the end of the First World War, Matisse embarked upon a series of paintings inspired by this theme, in which he explored and played with the stereotypical depiction of the odalisque. For Matisse, these figures were an artistic device, a route through which he could explore the female body objectively, proclaiming: ‘I do odalisques in order to do nudes…’ (Matisse, quoted in A. Dumas, exh. cat., Matisse and the Model, New York, 2011, p. 24). The artist included elaborate costumes and accessories in his depictions, draping his models in silk pantaloons, ethereal blouses and brightly coloured headdresses, directing his women to adopt languorous poses that evoked life in an otherworldly seraglio. Henriette fell easily into these parts, relaxing naturally as she reclined seductively on a couch, or drew one leg up towards her body whilst sitting in an armchair, both arms raised above her head. Over the course of their working collaboration, Matisse created multiple variations of these motifs and poses, subtly adjusting Henriette’s form or position from painting to painting, capturing the long graceful lines of her body in a variety of scenarios, and against an array of backdrops.
In Nu sur fond rouge Matisse abandons the costumes and accessories usually associated with the odalisque. In fact, apart from the two bejewelled bangles Henriette wears on her arms and the small green turban discarded on the trunk behind her, there is little to suggest that she is from North Africa or the Middle East. Instead, through the frank confidence of her body language, up-to-date hairstyle and make-up, she embodies the contemporary French woman. She stands before the viewer, unashamed of her nudity, her body imbued with a strength, power and composure at odds with the submissive passivity of traditional depictions of the odalisque. In many ways, her blatant modernity intensifies the erotic charge of the scene, casting her not as an exotic, otherworldly figure of fantasy, but a real-life woman, unafraid to make direct eye contact with the viewer as they scrutinise her naked body. It is only through the ornate decorations that surround her, the exotic wall hangings and decorations, that Matisse invokes the spirit of the traditional harem. This rich environment provides a glimpse into the versatile, adaptable theatrical space that the artist constructed in his studio in Nice, an environment of vibrating patterns and colours which often rivalled the seductive female models for the viewer’s attention.
Our artists reproduce this figurative composition in oil on canvas by hand, preserving the tonal range that makes portrait oil painting so sought after for a hallway.
Expect subtle, hand-made variation rather than factory uniformity. Each figurative canvas is painted with oils, allowed to cure properly, and inspected before it is approved for shipment.
Wondering where portrait oil painting looks best? Try a hallway mantel, a dining room sideboard, or a hallway gallery wall. The figurative subject reads clearly from a distance and rewards close viewing up near.
In short: Nude on a Red Background - Henri Matisse - Oil Painting for Hallway combines a fauvist composition, a 100% hand painted oil painting process, and the flexibility of made-to-order canvas sizes — a dependable choice for portrait oil painting and hallway wall art.
| Size | Price |
|---|---|
| 20 X 40 in | $89.48 |
| 24 X 48 in | $127.48 |
| 30 X 60 in | $186.48 |
| 36 X 72 in | $234.48 |
The sizes shown are the reproduction canvas sizes we paint to order. The dimensions given in a work's description refer to the original artwork and will differ from the sizes offered here. Not sure? Read the size guide or e-mail us.
Free on orders over $60; a flat $5 below that. Dispatched in 1–2 business days; 30 days to send it back. Full policy.
Every canvas is painted by hand in oils on artist-grade stretched canvas, with an extra blank border left for framing. How to care for your painting.
Measurements are on the size guide, or e-mail [email protected] and we reply within one business day.
