Photographs taken of Matisse's studio during the mid-1920s show North African textiles draped over furniture, hanging on the walls, and rigged into makeshift theatrical sets that served as backdrops for his odalisque-costumed models. When interviewed about his Odalisque paintings, Matisse stressed that the fabrics "play a role equivalent to the female nude."
Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
Open Access
As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.
API
Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.
[Valentine Gallery, New York, until 1927; sold in December 1927, for $11,000, to Clark]; Stephen C. Clark, New York (1927–47; sold on October 31, 1947 to Durand Ruel); [Durand Ruel, New York, 1947; stock no. 5668; sold on December 12, 1947 to Levy]; Dr. and Mrs. David M. Levy, New York (1947–her d. 1960); Dr. David M. Levy, New York (1960–62, with life interest until d. 1977; gift to MMA)
New York. Museum of Modern Art. "Summer Exhibition: Retrospective," June 15–September 28, 1930, no. 65 (as "Odalisque in Armchair," lent by Stephen C. Clark, New York).
New York. Stephen C. Clark's home, 46 East 70th Street. "Exhibition of Matisse paintings to benefit Hope Farm," November 16–17, 1932, no catalogue.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Impressionist and Modern Paintings from Private Collections: Summer Loan Exhibition," July 11–end of summer, 1957, no catalogue.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Paintings from Private Collections: Summer Loan Exhibition," July 1–September 1, 1958, checklist no. 87 (as "Odalisque," lent by Dr. and Mrs. David M. Levy).
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Paintings from Private Collections: Summer Loan Exhibition," July 7–September 7, 1959, checklist no. 70 (as "Odalisque," lent by Dr. and Mrs. David M. Levy).
New York. Museum of Modern Art. "The Mrs. Adele R. Levy Collection: A Memorial Exhibition," June 9–July 16, 1961, unnumbered cat. (p. 27; as "Odalisque").
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Paintings from Private Collections: Summer Loan Exhibition," July 3–September 6, 1962, checklist no. 46 (as "Odalisque," lent by Dr. David M. Levy).
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Summer Loan Exhibition," July 17–September 30, 1979, not in brochure (added to the installation September 11, 1979).
Galerie des Beaux-Arts, Bordeaux. "Profil du Metropolitan Museum of Art de New York: de Ramsès à Picasso," May 15–September 1, 1981, no. 223 (as "Odalisque").
Museum of Modern Art, Saitama. "From Impressionism to École de Paris: Its Passion and Struggle," November 3–December 12, 1982, no. 47 (as "Odalisque").
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Yves Saint Laurent: 25 Years of Design," December 14, 1983–September 2, 1984, unnum. checklist (installed in galleries of Costume Institute exhibition).
Yokohama Museum of Art. "Treasures from The Metropolitan Museum of Art: French Art from the Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century," March 25–June 4, 1989, no. 154 (as "Odalisque").
Nagoya City Art Museum. "Henri Matisse Retrospective, 1869–1954," August 24–September 29, 1991, no. 54 (as "Odalisque").
Hiroshima Museum of Art. "Henri Matisse Retrospective, 1869–1954," October 5–November 4, 1991, no. 54.
Kasama City Art Museum. "Henri Matisse Retrospective, 1869–1954," November 9–December 8, 1991, no. 54.
Brisbane. Queensland Art Gallery. "Matisse," March 29–May 16, 1995, no. 111 (as "Odalisque").
Canberra. National Gallery of Australia. "Matisse," May 27–July 9, 1995, no. 111.
Melbourne. National Gallery of Victoria. "Matisse," July 19–September 3, 1995, no. 111.
Rome. Musei Capitolini. "Matisse: 'La révélation m'est venue de l'Orient'," September 20, 1997–January 20, 1998, no. 71 (as "Odalisca").
Kunsthaus Zürich. "Max Beckmann and Paris: Matisse, Picasso, Braque, Léger, Rouault," September 25, 1998–January 3, 1999, no. 86 (as "Odalisque").
Saint Louis Art Museum. "Max Beckmann and Paris: Matisse, Picasso, Braque, Léger, Rouault," February 6–May 9, 1999, no. 86.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Painters in Paris: 1895–1950," March 8–December 31, 2000, extended to January 14, 2001, not in catalogue.
Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art. "Picasso and the School of Paris: Paintings from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York," September 14–November 24, 2002, no. 48 (as "Seated Odalisque").
Tokyo. Bunkamura Museum of Art. "Picasso and the School of Paris: Paintings from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York," December 7, 2002–March 9, 2003, no. 48.
Le Cateau-Cambrésis. Musée Matisse. "Matisse, His Art and His Textiles: The Fabric of Dreams," October 23, 2004–January 25, 2005, no. 22 (as "Seated Odalisque").
London. Royal Academy of Arts. "Matisse, His Art and His Textiles: The Fabric of Dreams," March 5–May 30, 2005, no. 22.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Matisse, His Art and His Textiles: The Fabric of Dreams," June 23–September 25, 2005, no. 22.
Williamstown. Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. "The Clark Brothers Collect: Impressionist and Early Modern Paintings," June 4–September 4, 2006, no. 288.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Impressionist and Early Modern Paintings: The Clark Brothers Collect," May 22–August 19, 2007, no. 288.
Granada. The Alhambra, Palace of Charles V. "Matisse and the Alhambra, 1910-2010," October 15, 2010–February 28, 2011, no. 21 (as "Sitting Odalisque").
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon. "Henri Matisse, le laboratoire intérieur," December 2, 2016–March 6, 2017, no. 126.
Canberra. National Gallery of Australia. "Matisse & Picasso," December 13, 2019–April 13, 2020, unnumbered cat. (p. 114, as "Seated odalisque [Odalisque assis]")).
Forbes Watson. "Henri Matisse." Arts 11 (January 1927), p. 31, ill. p. 36, as "Odalisque".
Edward Alden Jewell. "Again a Storm Rages Over 'Modern Art': It is Doomed, its Critics Say, But its Defenders Reply as Vigorously." New York Times Magazine (February 22, 1931), ill. p. 13.
Jean H. Lipman. "Matisse Paintings in the Stephen C. Clark Collection." Art in America 22 (October 1934), p. 143, ill. p. 135, calls it "Seated Odalisque" and dates it about 1924.
Frank Crowninshield. "Odalisque." Vogue (December 15, 1937), p. 92, ill. p. 53 (color).
Marvin D. Schwartz. "News and Views from New York." Apollo 68 (August 1958), p. 60, fig. II.
Stuart Preston. "Art: The Levy Collection. Modern Museum Showing French Group Before Distribution to Owners." New York Times (June 9, 1961), p. 30.
Charles Sterling and Margaretta M. Salinger. French Paintings: A Catalogue of the Collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Vol. 3, XIX–XX Centuries. New York, 1967, pp. 217–18, ill., call it "Odalisque" and date it among the earlier odalisques that Matisse painted between 1923 and 1928.
William S. Lieberman inProfil du Metropolitan Museum of Art de New York: de Ramsès à Picasso. Exh. cat., Galerie des Beaux-Arts, Bordeaux. Bordeaux, 1981, pp. 171–73, no. 223, ill., calls it "Odalisque" and situates it in a series of paintings the artist made between 1923–28.
Gary Tinterow et al. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Vol. 8, Modern Europe. New York, 1987, p. 106, colorpl. 82 (image reversed), calls it "Odalisque".
Lisa M. Messinger inTreasures from The Metropolitan Museum of Art: French Art from the Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century. Exh. cat., Yokohama Museum of Art. [Tokyo], 1989, p. 192, no. 154, ill. (color), identifies the model as Henriette Darricarrère.
Carla Schulz–Hoffmann inMax Beckmann and Paris: Matisse, Picasso, Braque, Léger, Rouault. Ed. Tobia Bezzola and Cornelia Homburg. Exh. cat., Saint Louis Art Museum. Cologne, 1998, pp. 86, 234, no. 86, ill. p. 101 (color).
William S. Lieberman inPicasso and the School of Paris: Paintings from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Exh. cat., Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art. [Tokyo], 2002, pp. 92, 167, no. 48, ill. p. 106 (color).
Kathleen Brunner inMatisse, His Art and His Textiles: The Fabric of Dreams. Exh. cat., Musée Matisse, Le Cateau-Cambrésis. London, 2004, p. 184, no. 22, ill. (color) front cover and p. 112, states that this picture was conceived as a pair with "Seated Odalisque, Left Leg Bent" (1926; Baltimore Museum of Art).
Gilbert T. Vincent and Sarah Lees inThe Clark Brothers Collect: Impressionist and Early Modern Paintings. Exh. cat., Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. Williamstown, Mass., 2006, p. 195 nn. 66, 67, note that Clark purchased this picture for $11,000 in December 1927.
Sarah Lees inThe Clark Brothers Collect: Impressionist and Early Modern Paintings. Exh. cat., Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. Williamstown, Mass., 2006, pp. 273–74, 281 n. 7, p. 337, no. 288, fig. 202 (color), notes that Harry B. Wehle described this painting as hanging next to "The Hindu Pose" above a sofa in Clark's Matisse room when he visited Clark's 70th Street townhouse in January 1931.
Isabelle Monod-Fontaine inMatisse and the Alhambra, 1910–2010. Exh. cat., The Alhambra, Palace of Charles V. [Granada], 2010, p. 48, asserts that Matisse's memories of his 1910 trip to the Alhambra palaces informed his series of odalisques, as seen in the decorative background of this picture, in which "Henriette's face and body become a living capital and pillar of this reinvented, magical Alhambra".
Maria del Mar Villafranca Jiménez inMatisse and the Alhambra, 1910–2010. Exh. cat., The Alhambra, Palace of Charles V. [Granada], 2010, pp. 118–19, 240, no. 21, ill. (color).
Rémi Labrusse inHenri Matisse, le laboratoire intérieur. Ed. Isabelle Monod-Fontaine and Sylvie Ramond. Exh. cat., Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon. Lyon, 2016, p. 29, no. 126, ill. p. 182 (color).
Anne Théry inHenri Matisse, le laboratoire intérieur. Ed. Isabelle Monod-Fontaine and Sylvie Ramond. Exh. cat., Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon. Lyon, 2016, pp. 172–73.
Ellen McBreen inMatisse in the Studio. Exh. cat., Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Boston, 2017, pp. 124, 199, fig. 107 (color).
Jane Kinsman in Jane Kinsman with Simeran Maxwell. Matisse Picasso. Exh. cat., National Gallery of Australia. Canberra, 2019, pp. 115, 182, ill. p. 114 (color).
Julia May Boddewyn. "Valentine Dudensing and the Valentine Gallery: Selling the United States on the School of Paris." Pioneers of the Global Art Market: Paris-Based Dealer Networks, 1850–1950. Ed. Christel H. Force. London, 2020, p. 248, fig. 15.2 (color), colorpl. 15.
Between 1850 and 1950, when art collecting in France stalled due to the devastating effects of two world wars, revolution, and economic uncertainty, it accelerated internationally, gaining interest from foreign collectors. In this discussion, curators, scholars, and experts in provenance research consider the historical market for modern art as the root of the globalized art world of today.
Henri Matisse (French, Le Cateau-Cambrésis 1869–1954 Nice)
1929
Resources for Research
The Met's Libraries and Research Centers provide unparalleled resources for research and welcome an international community of students and scholars.
The Met Collection API is where all makers, creators, researchers, and dreamers can connect to the most up-to-date data and public domain images for The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.
The Met's engagement with art from 1890 to today includes the acquisition and exhibition of works in a range of media, spanning movements in modernism to contemporary practices from across the globe.
