The Nightmare of the White Elephant, from Jazz

Prints and Drawings

1947

Henri Matisse (French, 1869–1954)
printed by Edmond Vairel (French, 20th century)
published by Tériade for Éditions Verve (French, 1943–1975)

Matisse’s assistant Lydia Delectorskaya recorded his descriptions of the various images. According to her notes, in The Nightmare of the White Elephant “the white elephant is performing its act standing on a ball, under dazzling circus lights, while memories of his native black forest assail him like red tongues of fire, with all the violence of arrows.”

Status: Currently Off View
Department: Prints and Drawings

Artist: Henri Matisse
Title: The Nightmare of the White Elephant, from Jazz
Place: France (Artist's nationality:)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: Copyrighted 1947
Medium: Color pochoir with gouache on ivory wove paper
Dimensions: Sheet, folded: 42.1 × 32.7 cm (16 5/8 × 12 7/8 in.); Sheet, unfolded: 42.1 × 65.4 cm (16 5/8 × 25 3/4 in.)
Credit Line: Simeon B. Williams Fund
Reference Number: 1948.80.7

The Art Institute of Chicago, Ryerson and Burnham Library, “Color and Rhythm: Henri Matisse’s Jazz,” March 15–May 10, 2011.

The artist and Tériad to Pierre Berrès, c. January 1948; sold to the Art Institute, May 20, 1948.

Duthuit 22

Hahnloser-Ingold 9

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