Artist
Henri Matisse(French, 1869–1954)French, 1869–1954
CultureFrench
Titles
- Olga Merson
Date1911
PlaceFrance
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions39 1/4 × 31 3/4 in. (99.7 × 80.6 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the Agnes Cullen Arnold Endowment
Object number78.125
Current Location
The Nancy and Rich Kinder Building
Gallery 203
On view
Explore Further
Department
Modern and Contemporary ArtObject Type
Henri Matisse also revealed and celebrated
the physical process of painting. He left
traces of his efforts as he worked through
the placement and rendering of his sitter:
the face, neck, and forearms are scraped and
overpainted, while bold black lines emphasize
the complementary arcs that define her figure.
However, it is the model’s serene gaze that is
the most arresting feature of this tender tribute.
ProvenancePrivate collection, Russia; [Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York, c. 1938]; Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., c. 1939; Mrs. Bernard (Rebecca G.) Reis, New York, 1951; purchased by MFAH, 1978.
Exhibition History"Paintings by Henri Matisse," Cleveland Museum of Art, 1938; Arts Club of Chicago, 1939.
"Art in Our Time: 10th Anniversary Exhibition, Painting, Sculpture, Prints," Museum of Modern Art, New York, May 10–September 30,1939.
"Collection of Walter P. Chrysler," Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond; Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1941.
"Exposico Matisse," Palau Meca, Barcelona, Spain, 1983.
"Henri Matisse," Museum of Modern Art, New York, September 16, 1992–January 19, 1993; Centres Georges Pompidou, Paris, February 23–June 21, 1993.
"Matisse Ancillary Exhibition," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, November 21, 1993–January 30, 1994.
"Henri Matisse: La Révélation m'est Venue de l'Orient (My Revelation Came from the East)," The Musei Capitolini, Rome, September 19, 1997–January 20, 1998.
“Masterpieces of European Painting from the 15th to 20th Centuries from
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation," The Museum of Art, Ehime, Matsuyama, Japan, April 13–May 30, 1999; Chiba Prefectural Art Museum, Japan, June 5–July 11, 1999; Mie Prefectural Art Museum, Tsu, Japan, July 17–August 22, 1999; Fukuoka Art Museum, Japan, August 27–October 3, 1999.
"Henri Matisse: Process and Variation," The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, September 11, 2003–December 12, 2004.
"Henri Matisse: Figure Colour Space," Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf, Germany, October 29, 2005–February 19, 2006; Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel, March 19–July 23, 2006.
"The Mirror and the Mask: The Portrait in the Age of Picasso," Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, June 17–September 16, 2007.
"Cézanne's Legacy," Philadelphia Museum of Art, February 22–May 31, 2009.
"The Methods of Modern Construction," Art Institute of Chicago, March 20–June 20, 2010; Museum of Modern Art, New York, July 18–October 11, 2010.
"Matisse & the Eskimos," Ordrupgaard, Copenhagen, August 20–November 29, 2015.
"Matisse at Work," Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, April 9–July 9, 2017; Royal Academy of Arts, London, August 1–November 12, 2017.
"Matisse and Picasso," National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, December 13, 2019–April 12, 2020.
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.
