Provenance
Sold to Alfred Stieglitz (1864–1946), New York, by 1913 [according to Utica 1963]; by descent to the Stieglitz Estate (Georgia O'Keefe (1887–1986), executor); given to the Art Institute, 1949.
Accession Number
66913
Medium
Graphite on tan wove paper, laid down on cream wove paper, laid down on ivory wove paper
Dimensions
Primary support: 31.8 × 23.8 cm (12 9/16 × 9 3/8 in.); Secondary support: 33.8 × 25.8 cm (13 5/16 × 10 3/16 in.); Tertiary support: 38 × 30.4 cm (15 × 12 in.)
Classification
graphite
Credit Line
Alfred Stieglitz Collection
Background & Context
Background Story
Henri Matisse's Seated Female Nude, One Foot on a Stool (1910) is a graphite drawing on tan wove paper that shows a model seated with one foot resting on a stool. The raised foot introduces a dynamic element into the seated pose, creating a composition of greater complexity than a straightforward seated figure. Matisse's graphite technique is precise and controlled, the lines defining the figure with clarity and economy. This drawing belongs to the period when Matisse was at the height of his powers, having established himself as the leading figure in the Parisian avant-garde. His figure drawings from this period are characterized by their combination of sensuous grace and formal discipline.
Cultural Impact
Matisse's seated nude drawings from 1910 demonstrate his ability to find endless variety within the traditional subject of the figure, each pose revealing new possibilities of line and form.
Why It Matters
This graphite drawing of a seated nude with one foot on a stool captures the grace and poise of the figure, Matisse's confident line defining the pose with a combination of sensuousness and formal intelligence.
