Repos sur la banquette 1929

Henri Matisse made this drawing of a reclining woman, called Repos sur la banquette, using what looks like a graphite pencil. The marks have a provisional, searching quality, like he's working out the shapes as he goes. Look at the way he renders the fabric of her dress, it’s all light and shadow, with some areas left almost blank, giving a sense of volume without a lot of detail. Then there are these wonderfully patterned areas of her dress, drawn with little flicks of the pencil that are almost like musical notes. This combination of detailed pattern work with plain areas allows the eye to move all over the work with ease, never getting stuck for too long in any one place. This is something you see a lot in Matisse’s work, this incredible ability to distill form down to its essence while still retaining a sense of sensuality and liveliness. Think about what it means to rest, the way he has captured this moment of relaxation and repose is pretty unique in art, isn't it? Like a Morandi painting, it’s hard to say what it means, but you feel it when you see it.