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Interior at Nice

Interior of warm colored room, woman sits on balcony, ocean behind her.
© 2018 Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

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  • Interior of warm colored room, woman sits on balcony, ocean behind her.

Date:

1919 or 1920

Artist:

Henri Matisse
French, 1869–1954

About this artwork

Beginning in 1917, Henri Matisse spent most winters in Nice, on the Mediterranean coast. He often stayed at the Hôtel Mediterranée, a Rococo-style building he later fondly termed “faked, absurd, delicious!” Interior at Nice is perhaps the most ambitious of a series of images the painter created using the hotel as a backdrop. The pink-tiled floors and yellow, arabesque-patterned wall-paper are present in many of these works, as are the skirted dressing table, oval mirror, shuttered French window, and balcony. The balcony in fact was one of the artist’s favorite themes, allowing him to link internal and external space into a continuum structured by patterns and modulated light.

Additionally, Matisse often included a young woman somewhere in the scene. Here, his favorite model at the time, Antoinette Arnoux, plays an important role. Not only is she the subject of the painting on the wall, but the composition’s high viewpoint and plunging, wide-angled perspective draw all attention to her as she sits on the balcony, her back to the sea. Framed by shimmering curtains, she gazes directly at the viewer.

Status

On loan to Saint Louis Art Museum in Saint Louis for Matisse and the Sea

Department

Modern Art

Artist

Henri Matisse

Title

Interior at Nice

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.

1919–1920

Medium

Oil on canvas

Inscriptions

Signed, l.r.: "Henri-Matisse"

Dimensions

131.5 × 90.7 cm (51 13/16 × 35 11/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Mrs. Gilbert W. Chapman

Reference Number

1956.339

Copyright

© 2018 Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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