Henri Matisse
French, 1869–1954
Woman before an Aquarium
INV-2798
Henri Matisse
French, 1869–19541921–23
Woman before an Aquarium
Henri Matisse French, 1869–1954 →paintingmodern and contemporary art
Date
1921–23
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
81.2 × 100.2 cm (31 15/16 × 39 7/16 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Helen Birch Bartlett Memorial Collection
In the first two decades of the 20th century, Henri Matisse visited exhibitions of Islamic art and traveled to Algeria and Morocco, where he collected pottery, textiles, and tiles. Years later while living in Nice, France, Matisse reflected on these experiences, integrating visual elements he encountered, such as the patterned textile screen, into his paintings. In Woman before an Aquarium, the carefully subdued decorative pattern of the screen contributes to the psychologically rich, contemplative mood of this interior scene.
Also notable
Works in the same vein
