Created for a program from a gala held at the Palais de Chaillot in 1946, Henri Matisse Saint Catherine, 1946 is as historic as it is beautiful. Delicate lines and curves combine intricately to form the face of a beautiful woman. The female subject looks beguilingly at the viewers, her lips slightly curving into a smile, and her eyes downcast and lidded. The simple lines that make up this beautiful and regal face are sweetly curved and smooth. Saint Catherine's eyes come to sharp endings, along with the peak of her hair and the tip of her nose. These moments are a delightful contrast to the rounded jawline and flowing hair that dominate the image. Named after a beloved Christian martyr, this work is a poignant reflection of her innocence and courage. Matisse has said that he wanted his art of to be “balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter”. This philosophy is unquestionably present and expressed by this rare portrait.

Created in 1946, this lithograph on Velin du Marais paper is hand signed by Henri Matisse (Le Cateau-Cambrésis, 1869 – Nice, 1954) in pencil in the lower left and numbered from the edition of 200 in pencil in the lower left.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
Henri Matisse Saint Catherine, 1946 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices accompanying the final sale of the work).

1. Duthuit-Matisse, Marguerite. Henri Matisse: Catalogue raisonné de l'œuvre gravé. Paris: Claude Duthuit, 1983. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no.618
2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work.

About the Framing:
Framed to archival museum grade conservation standards, Henri Matisse Saint Catherine, 1946 is presented in a complementary gold moulding and finished with linen-wrapped mats and optical-grade Plexiglas.