1927, Henri Matisse, Woman with a Veil -- Philadelphia Museum of Art (special exhibition)
The figure in this composition is camouflaged by the flat checkerboard pattern of a length of fabric. Though this effect of optical dazzle relates the picture to Matisse's 1920s odalisque compositions, the image stands apart for an element of psychological intensity that had been less present in depictions of Henriette Darricarrère, Matisse's principal model over the previous seven years. Here she sends a severe, inscrutable look directly at the painter (and the viewer). It was a farewell picture, marking not only the moment when Darricarrère left Matisse's employment, but also the end of the odalisque as a dominant theme for him.
1927, Henri Matisse, Woman with a Veil -- Philadelphia Museum of Art (special exhibition)
The figure in this composition is camouflaged by the flat checkerboard pattern of a length of fabric. Though this effect of optical dazzle relates the picture to Matisse's 1920s odalisque compositions, the image stands apart for an element of psychological intensity that had been less present in depictions of Henriette Darricarrère, Matisse's principal model over the previous seven years. Here she sends a severe, inscrutable look directly at the painter (and the viewer). It was a farewell picture, marking not only the moment when Darricarrère left Matisse's employment, but also the end of the odalisque as a dominant theme for him.