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Reclining Nude
Henri Matisse • Painting, 1935, 50.5×37.8 cm
Description of the artwork «Reclining Nude»
Reclining Nude - none other than Lydia Delektorskaya, Russian emigre, beloved model and simply beloved Matisse, his permanent secretary and assistant for 20 years. Lydia became the inspiration and swan song of late Matisse.
The genius of color, the artist, to whom the color obeyed, like no one else before or after, postponed sometimes the brush and took a pencil. Does not this mean to learn at all times, without stopping for a moment? Having achieved perfection in the use of color, the creator of sensual, voluptuous odalis, universally recognized, creator of sensual, voluptuous odalisks, looking at them, looking at them and undressing them by the stroke of their brush, the elderly artist is already picking up paper and a pencil and, as if for the first time, fallen in love, draws a woman who absolutely not in his taste. And looking at the result, we well understand why Madame Matisse long looked at one of the images of Lydia, and then demanded a divorce.
Matisse bank Lydia from rumors, mentioned her only as "his personal secretary," but could not draw it. And any pencil sketch gave out everything about the attitude of the master to this strange fair-haired Russian, so unlike his swarthy odalasks.
As if in youth, when he said goodbye to neo-impressionism, the artist re-opens the properties of the line. He draws lines, and each of them gives an unrestrained, seemingly lifelong love for Lydia. One of the critics, looking at the drawing, where a few strokes depicts Lydia, leaning on her hands, exclaimed: "These hands are a hug, there is only a woman's head and hands, but they are created in order to embrace a man!"
In the picture "Reclining Nude" the artist has depicted both himself and the model.
This is not the only product of this kind: "Artist and model"; bright, sunny, somewhat ironic Portrait of 1919... In the drawing "Lying Nude" the artist literally surrounds the model (protects?). In the foreground, a corner of the tablet and a sharply sharpened pencil cut into the space of the drawing, reveal it. And behind the lying woman - a mirror, which reflects the silhouette of Lydia and the artist himself, not taking his eyes off her.
Claude Roger-Marx, describing the numerous Odalisque of Matisse, notes that they are only part of the environment for the artist, elements of paradise. In other words, portraying the sweetest odalisks, Matisse retains a certain aloofness and does not lose his self-control in this filled, non-volatile atmosphere. But we have not the slightest reason to say something like that about the figure of Lydia lying. A woman in the center of the picture, surrounded by an artist on all sides, is undoubtedly desired and loved. This is indicated by every bend and every line of her body, his slackness, the turn of the head, the half-open mouth, a happy-scattered look.
This figure will be cited, with some modifications, in "Lying naked on a violet background". The painting retains the special softness peculiar to the images of Lydia emerging from under Matisse's brush, but the unarmed, boundless tenderness that is noticeable in the drawing has been reduced.
Author: Alain Esaulova
The genius of color, the artist, to whom the color obeyed, like no one else before or after, postponed sometimes the brush and took a pencil. Does not this mean to learn at all times, without stopping for a moment? Having achieved perfection in the use of color, the creator of sensual, voluptuous odalis, universally recognized, creator of sensual, voluptuous odalisks, looking at them, looking at them and undressing them by the stroke of their brush, the elderly artist is already picking up paper and a pencil and, as if for the first time, fallen in love, draws a woman who absolutely not in his taste. And looking at the result, we well understand why Madame Matisse long looked at one of the images of Lydia, and then demanded a divorce.
Matisse bank Lydia from rumors, mentioned her only as "his personal secretary," but could not draw it. And any pencil sketch gave out everything about the attitude of the master to this strange fair-haired Russian, so unlike his swarthy odalasks.
As if in youth, when he said goodbye to neo-impressionism, the artist re-opens the properties of the line. He draws lines, and each of them gives an unrestrained, seemingly lifelong love for Lydia. One of the critics, looking at the drawing, where a few strokes depicts Lydia, leaning on her hands, exclaimed: "These hands are a hug, there is only a woman's head and hands, but they are created in order to embrace a man!"
In the picture "Reclining Nude" the artist has depicted both himself and the model.
This is not the only product of this kind: "Artist and model"; bright, sunny, somewhat ironic Portrait of 1919... In the drawing "Lying Nude" the artist literally surrounds the model (protects?). In the foreground, a corner of the tablet and a sharply sharpened pencil cut into the space of the drawing, reveal it. And behind the lying woman - a mirror, which reflects the silhouette of Lydia and the artist himself, not taking his eyes off her.
Claude Roger-Marx, describing the numerous Odalisque of Matisse, notes that they are only part of the environment for the artist, elements of paradise. In other words, portraying the sweetest odalisks, Matisse retains a certain aloofness and does not lose his self-control in this filled, non-volatile atmosphere. But we have not the slightest reason to say something like that about the figure of Lydia lying. A woman in the center of the picture, surrounded by an artist on all sides, is undoubtedly desired and loved. This is indicated by every bend and every line of her body, his slackness, the turn of the head, the half-open mouth, a happy-scattered look.
This figure will be cited, with some modifications, in "Lying naked on a violet background". The painting retains the special softness peculiar to the images of Lydia emerging from under Matisse's brush, but the unarmed, boundless tenderness that is noticeable in the drawing has been reduced.
Author: Alain Esaulova
