Henri Matisse – Femme au Fauteuil

Femme au Fauteuil, 1938

• Artist: Henri Matisse (French, 1869–1954)
• Medium: Linocut
• Dimensions: 42.3 × 33.3 cm (16.65 × 13.11 in)
• State: Signed artist's proof (épreuve d'artiste)
• Reference: Duthuit 724 

Femme au Fauteuil is a linocut executed in 1938 by Henri Matisse — one of the most celebrated, historically significant, and widely collected artists of the twentieth century — signed and justified as an artist's proof, and catalogued as Duthuit 724.

Artist's proofs — impressions pulled outside the regular numbered edition and retained by the artist for his personal use — are among the most desirable and collectible states of any print, carrying a quality of personal significance and direct artistic ownership that distinguishes them decisively from the standard edition. For a work by Matisse, a signed artist's proof represents an acquisition of the rarest and most historically important kind.

Executed in 1938 — a period of extraordinary creative productivity in Matisse's career, midway between the great Odalisque paintings of the 1920s and the celebrated cut-outs of his final years — Femme au Fauteuil belongs to a body of graphic work that has attracted the sustained attention of the most distinguished institutions and collectors in the world. The linocut medium — in which the image is carved directly into a linoleum block and printed with a bold, direct economy of line — is entirely consistent with Matisse's lifelong pursuit of the essential gesture, the line reduced to its most expressive and irreducible form. The seated female figure — one of the most enduring and central motifs in Matisse's entire practice — is rendered here with the formal economy, sensory richness, and effortless authority that are the hallmarks of his graphic work at its finest. Catalogued as Duthuit 724 in the definitive scholarly reference for Matisse's printed oeuvre, this work is fully documented within the most authoritative academic record of his prints.

Traces of old adhesives are present on the recto and verso in the margins — characteristics entirely consistent with a work of this age and history. The image itself is in good overall condition.

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FAQ

Is this an original work by Henri Matisse? Yes — an authentic linocut signed and justified as an artist's proof by Matisse, executed in 1938 and catalogued as Duthuit 724.

What is an artist's proof? An artist's proof is an impression pulled outside the regular numbered edition, retained by the artist for personal use. For a Matisse print, a signed artist's proof represents an acquisition of exceptional rarity and direct historical significance.

What is the Duthuit reference? Duthuit 724 is the catalogue raisonné reference for this work — the definitive scholarly documentation of Matisse's printed oeuvre, recognized worldwide as the authoritative academic record of his prints.

What printing technique was used? Linocut — a direct and expressive relief printing technique in which the image is carved into a linoleum block, entirely consistent with Matisse's lifelong pursuit of the essential, irreducible line.

What are the dimensions? 42.3 × 33.3 cm (16.65 × 13.11 in)

What is the condition? Traces of old adhesives on recto and verso in the margins. Image in good overall condition. Full condition report available upon request.

Is this artwork a good investment? Henri Matisse is one of the most consistently collected and institutionally recognized artists in the history of the auction market. Signed artist's proofs from his graphic oeuvre — particularly those catalogued in the Duthuit raisonné — are among the rarest and most sought-after works available and regularly achieve exceptional results at the world's leading auction houses.

Is worldwide shipping available? Yes — secure worldwide shipping from France with professional packaging, tracking, and insurance.