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HENRI MATISSE

YELLOW ODALISQUE, 1937

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About the Artwork

Yellow Odalisque continues Henri Matisse’s 1920s modernizing of the odalisque, a figure popularized by French painters in Orientalist works of the 1800s. But here there is no confusing Matisse’s model with a Turkish concubine. Hélène Galtzine is instead very clearly presented as a modern European woman. Underneath the Persian robe, with its vibrant stripes of purple and yellow that serve to equalize her form with the picture’s patterned background, she wears a green printed skirt and white blouse, and her hair is cut short in a bob. The small Algerian painted table from the 1800s or early 1900s came from Matisse’s personal collection, as did the French pewter jug from the late 1700s decorated with gadrooning, or convex curves, that holds a bouquet of red, purple, and white anemones.

About the Artist

A public scandal over the challenging appearance of his works—the rawness and immediacy of their color in particular—brought fame to Henri Matisse (French, 1869–1954) in 1905. Matisse, however, was no less remarkable as a draftsman. Though the artist’s work went through many changes over a long career, its essential method was to distill his emotional response to a given still life, landscape, or human form (his principal theme) in luminous color and pure, flowing line. The museum’s holdings cover aspects of Matisse’s work from 1900 to 1950 across the mediums of painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, the artist’s book, and ceramics. Many of the key works came as gifts from Philadelphians who collected Matisse in the years following World War I.

Source: Philadelphia Museum of Art

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About Our Prints

Quality
Philadelphia Museum of Art Custom Prints offers exclusive custom reproductions of artworks in the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Hand-made in the USA using gallery-quality materials, we create prints as true to the original work as possible, using strict color management protocols and state-of-the-art printing technology.
Selection
Many of the works offered through this store are exclusive and not available anywhere else. In addition, new works are continually added to the offering so make sure to come back and see the new releases.
Customization
You have found the work that speaks to you. Now what? Using our innovative custom framing tool you can preview exactly what your finished and framed art will look like. We offer many different moulding styles so there is sure to be a match for any type of decor.

Member Discounts

As always, members will receive their discount for all transactions processed through our Custom Prints store. Simply enter your Member ID during the checkout process and your discount will be applied.