Odalisque in Grey Trousers by Henri Matisse

This pictorial masterpiece belongs to the fertile period of the work of the modern artist Henri Matisse. Inspired by his travels and the decors of the East, the painter reinvents the representation of the reclining figure in a richly furnished studio. This remarkable canvas, titled “Odalisque in Grey Trousers” by its creator, bears witness to a research on ornamentation and space, merging the decorative background and the female body into a harmonious composition.

The work shows a half-naked odalisque reclining on a soft green mattress covered with a blue and white striped fabric. Her bare chest faces the viewer while she rests her head on a decorated pillow. Around her, the decor overflows with precious elements: a large brass incense burner on the left, a green table adorned with a vase of yellow flowers, and a screen with vertical red, yellow, and blue bands. The floor and walls are covered with white and red geometric patterns, creating a very dense visual texture that envelops the female figure in a particularly fascinating setting of mystery.

The painter expresses here all his virtuosity in rendering materials such as the polished metal of the samovar and the fabric of the draperies. His management of diffuse light and his sense of pattern superimposition make this human still life a summit of modern art.