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Henri Matisse (French, 1869 - 1954)
Reclining Nude with Budgies (Nu allongé avec perruches), 1929, pen and black ink on wove paper.
Bequest from the Nancy Batson Rash and Dillman A. Rash Collection 1998.19.4

This drawing is typical of the work Henri Matisse was creating in the late 1920s. Spare, flowing lines describe a world of sensual pleasures. Matisse used patterned textiles, plush cushions and decorative screens to replicate a harem in his studio in Nice. In this fantasy world he recreated his models as idealized concubines. Lisette, the model depicted in this drawing, sat for him between 1929 and 1932. She is depicted in a classical pose as a reclining nude with caged budgies and a goldfish bowl, two elements that appear frequently in his work from this time. The weight and thickness of the line remain relatively consistent, and combined with the overall patterning, the figure begins to become indistinct from the surroundings.