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Cat. 1  Standing Female Nude Seen from the Back, 1900/01 Cat. 2  Self-Portrait, c. 1901 Cat. 3  The Serf, 1900–03 Cat. 4  Nude in Profile, 1903–04 Cats. 5–6  Boats, 1905 • Grounded Fishing Boat, 1905 Cats. 7–8  Madame Matisse with Her Fan, 1906 • Nude in a Folding Chair, 1906 Cats. 9–11  Woman Leaning on Her Hands, 1905 • Thorn Extractor, 1906 • Still Life with Geranium, 1906 Cats. 12–13  Standing Female Nude with Chair, 1907 • Seated Female Nude, One Foot on a Stool, 1910 Cats. 14–15  Small Crouching Nude without an Arm, 1908 • Standing Female Nude, Twisting toward Her Back, 1908 Cat. 16  Seated Female Nude, Holding One Knee, with a Sketch of a Foot, Aug. 1909 Cat. 17  Girl with a Cat, 1910 Cat. 18  Female Nude Lying Facedown on a Table, 1911/early 1912 Cat. 19  Portrait of Elsa Glaser, 1914 Cat. 20  Portrait of Walter Pach, 1914 Cats. 21–22  Still Life with Goldfish III, 1914/15 • Still Life with Goldfish V, 1914/15 Cat. 23  Young Girl with Braids, c. 1916 Cat. 24  Apples, 1916 Cat. 25  Bathers by a River, March 1909–10, May–November 1913, and early spring 1916–October (?) 1917 Cat. 26  Laurette with a Cup of Coffee, 1916–17 Cats. 27–28  Woman with a Shawl, in a Garden, c. 1918 • Young Girl with Long Hair, c. 1919 Cat. 29  Girl in Plumed Hat (Mlle Antoinette), 1919 Cat. 30  Interior at Nice, 1919 or 1920 Cat. 31  Reclining Nude, c. 1920 Cat. 32  Portrait of Léonide Massine, 1920 Cat. 33  Woman on a Rose Divan, 1921 Cat. 34  Woman before an Aquarium, 1921–23 Cats. 35–37  Reclining Female Nude with a Raised Knee, 1923/24 • Seated Nude with Arms Raised, c. 1925 • Seated Nude, 1922–29, cast 1951 Cat. 38  Seated Woman with Full-Skirted Dress, c. 1926 Cat. 39  Lemons on a Pewter Plate, 1926 Cat. 40–41  Dancer Resting, 1927 • Seated Dancer, 1927 Cat. 42  Young Woman with a Veil, 1929 Cat. 43  Portrait of John Dewey, 1930/34 Cats. 44–45  Study for Anemones and Woman (Study for “Odalisque, Harmony in Blue”), 1937 • Anemones in a Vase, 1944 Cat. 46  Girl in Yellow and Blue with a Guitar, 1939 Cat. 47  Daisies, 1939 Cats. 48–49  Head of a Woman, 1941 • Head of a Woman, 1942 Cat. 50  Matisse’s Dining Room—1941, 1941 Cat. 51  Blue Vase on a Venetian Armchair, 1943 Cats. 52–54  Girl at a Table, 1944 • Young Woman before a Table, 1944 • Woman Seated at a Table with Fruit and Pitcher, 1944 Cat. 55  Bust of a Woman, 1944 Cat. 56  Untitled, 1947 Cat. 57  Head, 1947 Cat. 58  Oceania, the Sea, 1948

Top center shows the rounded outline of a head in gray on an off-white background. Below, a neck connects to a V-shaped neckline and broad shoulders that slope to the left, with light to medium gray shading around the chest and left shoulder. The surrounding space is empty, and small gray text reading “Henri Matisse” appears in the lower right corner.

Cat. 43

Portrait of John Dewey
New York, 1930/34
Stumped charcoal on ivory laid paper; 63.4 × 48.2 cm (24 15/16 × 19 in.)
Signed: Henri-Matisse (lower right, in graphite)
The Art Institute of Chicago, gift of Pierre Matisse in memory of Carl O. Schniewind, 1969.5

Henri Matisse traveled to the United States in December of 1930 to work on The Dance (1932–33; fig. 43.1), his first large-scale painting commission since Sergei Shchukin asked him to make Dance II (summer–fall 1910; State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg) and Music (winter–fall 1910; State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg) in 1909.[1] The patron, Dr. Alfred C. Barnes, had already acquired a number of works by the artist, and as he was forming his collection he sought to refine his approach to aesthetic pedagogy.[2] In this endeavor Barnes was influenced in part by the progressive educational theories of the American philosopher John Dewey (see fig. 43.2). Anticipating an intellectual compatibility, Barnes orchestrated a meeting between Dewey and Matisse upon the artist’s arrival in New York. Matisse was drawn to the philosopher’s easy manner and shared his sketches for the mural with him. He also confided his anxiety about working with Barnes.[3] Dewey, then seventy-one and recently retired from Columbia University in New York, was equally taken with Matisse, and the two spent much time together over the following weeks. “I’m enjoying Matisse immensely,” Dewey wrote to Barnes shortly after their meeting, “It was interesting to see [his] hands move in the rhythm of his forms when he showed the sketches.”[4]
1

Across three arched sections from left to right, gray human figures are shown overlapping and reaching against blocks of black, blue, and pink. In the left section, several figures lean and extend their arms, with one bending forward. The center section features a large horizontal figure along the lower area with others above and to the sides, their limbs curving around each other. In the right section, figures cluster closely, some crouching and some stretching upward, all similar in size within the arch shapes.

Fig. 43.1


Henri Matisse (French, 1869–1954). The Dance, 1932–33. Oil on canvas; three panels, left: 339. × 441.3 cm (133 3/4 × 173 3/4 in.); center: 355.9 × 503.2 cm (140 1/8 × 198 1/8 in.); right: 338.8 × 439.4 cm (133 3/8 × 173 in.). The Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia, 2001.25.50a,b,c.

Top to bottom, the back wall holds several framed pictures; a very large frame on the right shows a group of standing figures, while smaller frames to the left and center show single figures. In front of them, two older adults sit close together; the left person wears a light gray suit, and the right person wears a dark suit and holds a small, long‑haired dog that is mostly white with dark patches. Along the lower right, a low cabinet or bench with patterned panels sits beneath the large frame, with two candlesticks placed in front of it.

Fig. 43.2


John Dewey and Dr. Albert C. Barnes in the Barnes Museum in Merion, Pennsylvania, late 1920s. Special Collections, Morris Library, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

It was during their time together that Matisse drew several portraits of the philosopher, including this work. In a letter from the beginning of January 1931, Dewey described his experience: “Matisse . . . used me as a model for a lithograph he is going to make—He came half a dozen times & worked for an hour or so each time, making a different [and] entirely new sketch each time.”[5] In addition to the Art Institute’s drawing, Matisse made at least three other portraits of Dewey (see fig. 43.3, fig. 43.4, and fig. 43.5), each rendered quickly and informally.
2

Figs. 43.3–43.5

Top center shows the head shape on an off-white background in soft gray tones. Moving downward, a collared shirt and dark tie sit beneath a V-shaped neckline, with a vest and suit jacket extending across the shoulders and upper torso. The figure is centered and shown from the chest up, with the clothing occupying the lower half in light-to-dark gray shading.

Fig. 43.3


Henri Matisse (French, 1869–1954). John Dewey, 1930. Charcoal on paper; 61.9 × 48.4 cm (24 3/8 × 19 in.). The Museum of Modern Art, New York, gift of Pierre Matisse, 149.1962.

Top center shows the rounded outline of a head with a bald crown and a single ear visible on the right. Moving downward, a neck connects to sloping shoulders and a collared shirt, with a dark necktie at the center. The lines are light to medium gray on a pale beige background. In the lower right corner, the words “henri matisse” are written in small cursive.

Fig. 43.4


Henri Matisse (French, 1869–1954). John Dewey, 1930. Charcoal on paper; 57 × 48 cm (22 3/8 × 18 7/8 in.). Columbia University, New York, gift of Pierre Matisse. 

Top center shows a head with dark gray, neatly combed hair against a white background. Moving downward, a collared shirt and a medium‑dark gray necktie are visible, with a lightly outlined suit jacket and broad lapels on both sides of the chest and shoulders. At the lower right, small handwriting reads “hommage à John Dewey,” followed by “Henri Matisse” and “31.” All elements are in grayscale, with darker tones in the hair and tie.

Fig. 43.5


Henri Matisse (French, 1869–1954). John Dewey, 1930. Charcoal on paper; 62.9 × 47.4 cm (24 3/4 × 18 11/16 in.). Fleming Museum Collection, University of Vermont, Burlington, gift of Mrs. Richard Gay, 1973.29.

For this work, Matisse chose to present a subtle three-quarter view of his subject and employed short, gestural strokes to contour Dewey’s face and define his clothing. The artist used stumping to dramatically soften his charcoal marks to noteworthy effect: the varied, almost “blurred” hatch marks produce shades of black on the right side of the face, hair, and coat. While Matisse moved the medium around on the page to make the portrait, he also removed some to create subtle highlights under the eyes, above the brow, and along the hair. The artist concentrated the charcoal on the eyes, using hatch marks and smudging to achieve a deep black that conveys the sitter’s thoughtful intensity. Dewey’s portrait, casually generated but inventively produced, demonstrates the importance Matisse found in his moments of respite from the increasingly complicated mural he was making for Barnes. As he had during the production of other complicated commissions, the artist relied on drawing as an “instrument of relief or synthesis.”[6] This loose yet intimate likeness of Dewey records a moment of intellectual energy and invention shared by two luminaries.
Katja Rivera3

Technical Summary4

Henri Matisse relied on light and shade rendered through stumped charcoal to apply modeling in the head in a manner that recalls a sculptor’s process of working with mass. He drew this portrait entirely with a stump and powdered charcoal on ivory laid paper; he never marked the sheet directly with a charcoal stick. Matisse employed the tip of the stump to draw the narrow contour lines around the head, facial features, and proper left shoulder. He used the broad side of the tapered end to apply wide bands of gray charcoal to shade and model the figure (see fig. 43.6). The darkest passages in the eyes and moustache were achieved with multiple charcoal applications. The stumped marks appear actively drawn, lending a spontaneous quality to this portrait. The drawing is not fixed.
5

Top left shows part of a human face in gray, with the lower cheek and a curved line for the mouth; the eyes and forehead are not visible. Moving downward, shaded areas define the jawline and neck. Right side shows a broad gray shape forming the shoulder and upper torso against a light cream background. The face and shoulder are shown at close range, filling most of the frame.

Fig. 43.6


Detail of Matisse’s Portrait of John Dewey (1930/34) showing how the artist used the tip of the stump and the broad side of the tapered end to achieve different effects in the proper left shoulder. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1969.5.

The charcoal Matisse employed has a warm-gray tonality overall while the darkest passages appear brown-black, suggesting a natural charcoal.[7] He could have worked with loose charcoal purchased in a packet or vial or rubbed a charcoal stick against sandpaper to generate the powdery medium for stumping.[8] Although stumps were available in multiple sizes (see fig. 43.7), the relatively consistent width and character of the stumped marks in this work suggest the artist used only one.[9]
6

Top section displays a tan background headed “G. SENNELIER, 3, Quai Voltaire — PARIS” with “ESTOMPES” above two long, tapered, black drawings of cylindrical tools; to the right is a small grid of numbers with French item lines below. In the middle, under “TORTILLONS,” one similar tapered cylinder appears with a banded label, accompanied by more French listings. At the bottom, “SILHOUETTES ARTICULÉES” shows two rows of solid black silhouettes—human figures and horses in varied poses from left to right (running, standing, bending, kneeling, seated)—with small captions and item numbers beneath. Colors are tan background and black text and drawings.

Fig. 43.7


Stumps (estompes) in four sizes for sale in a 1904 Sennelier catalogue, including ones made of gray paper, leather, cork, and pith for manipulating charcoal. G. Sennelier, Catalogue général illustré de G. Sennelier, fabricant de couleurs fines et matériel d’artists (G. Sennelier, 1904), p. 114.

Matisse chose to make the portrait on the more textured (wire) side of the paper. As he drew the stump across the paper the charcoal settled onto the high points of the textured surface. The distinct pattern of laid lines and chain lines is evident in the areas of shadow.7

Pinholes at all corners and at the center of the top edge suggest the sheet was tacked to a support while drawing or tacked up later for study.
8

Signature9

Signed: Henri-Matisse (lower right, in graphite) (fig. 43.8).
10

Top and center areas show a broad, light beige surface with no figures or objects. At the bottom right, small gray handwritten words read “Henri Matisse,” with a tiny, faint light blue rectangular mark near the corner; the writing is small compared to the wide empty space. The edges, especially along the bottom, appear slightly irregular.

Fig. 43.8


Detail of Matisse’s Portrait of John Dewey (1930/34) showing the signature. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1969.5.

Media and Support11

Media12

Matisse drew using stumped charcoal. He used powdered charcoal, the particles of which appear quite fine under microscope magnification 300×. The charcoal is likely natural; overall it has a warm-gray hue and the darkest marks appear as a warm brown-black. The charcoal particles, transferred from stump to paper, appear relatively evenly dispersed within the fibrous paper surface (see fig. 43.9).
13

Top section shows a beige, grainy surface covered with many fine gray-black lines and small light specks. Across the middle and lower areas, the same crisscross pattern of thin dark lines and scattered specks continues over the whole area. In the bottom left corner, a white horizontal scale bar labeled “500 µm” is present.

Fig. 43.9


Photomicrograph from Matisse’s Portrait of John Dewey (1930/34) showing relatively even dispersion of the charcoal particles. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1969.5.

Support14

The support is moderately thick, moderately textured, ivory laid paper manufactured by Arches.[10] Chain lines run horizontally at 2.7 cm intervals. The laid line frequency is 9/cm. The paper is moldmade. The fibers appear uniform with the exception of infrequent dark and red fibers visible at magnification 2×. The top and bottom have a deckle edge. The right and left edges are hand torn. For an image of the verso, see fig. 43.10.
15

Upper center holds a very faint face, with light gray shapes marking two eyes, a nose, and a mouth; the head is small compared to the surface. From top to bottom the rest of the off-white surface is blank with no distinct objects. At the lower left edge, tiny gray numbers and a small rectangular mark are visible. No additional colors or figures appear.

Fig. 43.10


Verso of Matisse’s Portrait of John Dewey (1930/34). The Art Institute of Chicago, 1969.5.

There is a watermark at the lower left edge: Ingres D’Arches (0.8 × 6.0 cm). There is a countermark at the center of the left edge: MBM (France) (1.5 × 15. cm) (see fig. 43.11 and fig. 43.12).[11]
16

Upper and middle sections show a textured gray surface with evenly spaced vertical lines running top to bottom. In the lower-left corner, a white measurement scale labeled “30mm” with short tick marks sits above a dark horizontal band and provides size reference. Near the lower center-right, dark gray capital letters read “INGRES D’ARCHES.” Colors are shades of gray and white, with the text and scale contrasting against the lighter gray background.

Fig. 43.11


Beta radiograph showing the watermark on the lower left edge of Matisse’s Portrait of John Dewey (1930/34). The Art Institute of Chicago, 1969.5.

Top area is light gray with fine horizontal lines and faint vertical stripes. Centered toward the lower half, large dark-outlined letters read M, B, M, followed by (FRANCE) from left to right. At the bottom-left, a white measurement scale labeled 30mm with small tick marks is visible, and the bottom edge forms a rough black band.

Fig. 43.12


Beta radiograph showing the countermark in the center of the left edge of Matisse’s Portrait of John Dewey (1930/34). The Art Institute of Chicago, 1969.5.

Dimensions17

63.4 × 48.2 cm (24 15/16 × 19 in.).
18

Conservation19

Examination and Treatment History20

The drawing underwent conservation treatment in 2015 to repair minor edge tears, remove multiple campaigns of hinges from the verso, and eliminate distortions.[12]
21

Condition Summary22

The sheet is in good condition following conservation treatment.
Kristi Dahm
23

Collection of the artist (died Nov. 3, 1954), until Nov. 3, 1954.[13]24

By descent to the artist’s son, Pierre Matisse (June 13, 1900–Aug. 10, 1989), New York, Nov. 3, 1954–Apr. 14, 1969.[14]25

Given to the Art Institute of Chicago, Apr. 14, 1969.[15]
26

Inscriptions and Distinguishing Marks27

Verso28

Number
Location: lower left corner
Method: graphite
Content: 6/83D 1062/57 × 48 69.5/RX6847 (fig. 43.13)29

Stamp
Location: lower left corner
Method: black ink stamp
Content: PM [in a rectangle][16] (fig. 43.13)
30

Off-white surface with gray pencil markings and a small black stamped square near the lower left. From top toward center, large penciled text reads “6/83 D”; along the left edge, smaller vertical notes include “69-5” and other faint numbers. In the bottom-left corner, a square stamp with “PP” sits above penciled numbers reading “1062” and “57 x 48,” with a tiny round hole near the edge. No people or additional imagery are visible.

Fig. 43.13


Examination Conditions and Scientific Analysis31

The media and their application, as well as the condition of the artwork, were assessed through visual examination using normal, transmitted, and raking light; microscope magnification (80–300×); and ultraviolet-light examination (254 and 365 nm). The beta radiograph was recorded using a Konica Minolta Regius Σ imaging plate (FP-1S) and a Konica Minolta Direct Digitizer Regius ΣII computed radiography scanner with ImagePilot software set on low–image processing intensity.
32

Notes

  1. For more information on the commission of The Dance, see Jack Flam, Matisse: The Dance (National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1993).
  2. By 1926, Barnes, who championed Matisse’s work in the colorist, figurative tradition, had already acquired twenty-three works by the artist. He would continue to add to the collection through the 1930s, amassing the largest private collection of the artist’s painting at that time. Flam, Matisse: The Dance, pp. 16–17. See also Yve-Alain Bois, ed., Matisse in the Barnes Foundation, 3 vols. (Barnes Foundation, 2015); and Colin B. Bailey, “The Origins of the Barnes Collection, 1912–15,” Burlington Magazine 150, no. 1265 (Aug. 2008), pp. 534–43.
  3. Thomas C. Dalton, Becoming John Dewey (Indiana University Press, 2002), p. 158.
  4. John Dewey to Albert C. Barnes, Dec. 26, 1930, John Dewey Papers, Special Collections, Morris Library, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, hereafter cited as John Dewey Papers.
  5. John Dewey to Florence Richardson Wyckoff, Jan. 2, 1931, John Dewey Papers.
  6. See for example, Matisse’s sketches of Yvonne Landsberg executed in the approximately six-week period of painting her commissioned portrait; Stephanie D’Alessandro and John Elderfield, Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913–1917, exh. cat. (Art Institute of Chicago/Museum of Modern Art, New York/Yale University Press, 2010), pp. 210–15.
  7. Drawing charcoal was made from tree and vine sticks that were heated in airless chambers thereby charring the wood. Kimberly Schenck, “Crayon, Paper, and Paint: An Examination of Nineteenth-Century Drawing Materials,” in The Essence of Line: French Drawings from Ingres to Degas (Baltimore Museum of Art/Pennsylvania State University Press, 2005), p. 64; and Harriet K. Stratis, “Beneath the Surface: Redon’s Methods and Materials,” in Douglas Druick et al., Odilon Redon: Prince of Dreams, 1840–1916, exh. cat. (Art Institute of Chicago/Abrams, 1994), p. 355.
  8. As early as 1886 powdered charcoal was sold in quarter-pound packets. C. T. Raynolds & Co., Catalogue and Price List of Artists’ Materials for Oil and Water Color Painting, Crayon and Pastel Painting, Charcoal and Lead Pencil Drawing, Miniature Painting, Porcelain and China Decoration, Mathematical Instruments for Architects, Engineers, and Draughtsmen, Artists’ Fine Brushes and Pencils, Materials for Making Wax Flowers and Modelling, and Materials for Scene and Fresco Painters (C. T. Raynolds & Co., [1886]), p. 55. In the late nineteenth century palettes lined with sandpaper or chamois were sold for rubbing chalks into fine powder to be applied with stumps. A stumping chalk, called “sauce,” was sold in a glass vial. Schenck, “Crayon, Paper, and Paint,” p. 65. Charcoal could be crumbled the same way.
  9. Stumps were made of paper or leather rolled tightly to form points. By 1895 at least 12 sizes of stumps were commercially available. Schenck, “Crayon, Paper, and Paint,” p. 65.
  10. Descriptions of paper thickness and texture follow the standard set forth in Elizabeth Lunning and Roy Perkinson, The Print Council of America Paper Sample Book: A Practical Guide to the Description of Paper (Print Council of America/Sun Hill, 1996).
  11. The watermark “Ingres” honoring Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, was frequently used by multiple manufacturers to designate high-quality, textured, laid paper intended for drawing. MBM is alternately used as a watermark or countermark by Arches and combines the initials of Morel, Bercioux, and Masure, coproprietors of Arches from 1879 to 1887. For a list of Arches proprietors from 1492 to 1911, see Henri Onfroy, Histoire des papeteries à la Cuve d’Arches et d’Archettes (1492–1911) (C. Hérissey, 1912), p. vii.
  12. Liz Sorokin, conservation treatment report, May 1, 2015, conservation object file, Department of Prints and Drawings, Art Institute of Chicago.
  13. Pierre Matisse to Harold Joachim, Nov. 15, 1968; photocopy in curatorial object file, Department of Prints and Drawings, Art Institute of Chicago.
  14. Pierre Matisse to Harold Joachim, Nov. 15, 1968; Committee on Prints and Drawings meeting minutes, Mar. 4, 1969, p. 2; Board of Trustees meeting minutes, Apr. 14, 1969, p. 1; photocopies in curatorial object file, Department of Prints and Drawings, Art Institute of Chicago. Pierre Matisse’s gift was initially accepted by the Committee on Prints and Drawings, as described in its minutes from March 4, 1969. The gift officially became part of the museum’s collection when the Board of Trustees approved the Prints and Drawings minutes on April 14, 1969.
  15. Committee on Prints and Drawings meeting minutes, Mar. 4, 1969, p. 2; Board of Trustees meeting minutes, Apr. 14, 1969, p. 1; photocopies in curatorial object file, Department of Prints and Drawings, Art Institute of Chicago. Pierre Matisse’s gift was initially accepted by the Committee on Prints and Drawings, as described in the minutes of March 4, 1969. The gift officially became part of the museum’s collection when the Board of Trustees approved the Prints and Drawings minutes on April 14, 1969.
  16. Pierre Matisse, New York.

How to Cite

Entry by Katja Rivera, technical report by Kristi Dahm, "Cat. 43 Portrait of John Dewey, 1930/34," in Matisse Paintings, Works on Paper, Sculpture, and Textiles at the Art Institute of Chicago, rev ed. (2019; repr., Art Institute of Chicago, 2025), https://doi.org/10.53269/9780865593022/41

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