Henri Matisse: Prints

Printmaking was frequently used by Matisse as an extension of drawing and an opportunity for him to experiment with the use of simplified, sometimes almost abstract line. With printmaking, he could return repeatedly to favourite compositions, such as the seated or reclining female and adapt them to suit the demands of his artistic vision. Matisse describes this process of ‘visual editing’, as an attempt to capture the essence of his subject beyond the immediate beauty of the figure.

While most of his output is dedicated to the female form and often these subjects are familiar to us from his paintings, they seem to acquire a heightened intimacy in his print making. We are perhaps even more aware of the close working relationship between artist and model, as well as his obsession with pattern acquired as a boy growing up in family descended from weavers in Bohain, a town known for its textiles.