La sieste 1922

Henri Matisse made this drawing, La Sieste, with graphite. Look at the lines, the shading, and that really cool patterned background. I imagine Matisse, charcoal in hand, circling the model, trying to capture the perfect arc of the body in repose. I love the way Matisse uses line to define the contours of the figure, it’s so intimate. The graphite looks smudged in places, adding depth, almost as if he were caressing the paper. I can imagine him thinking about Ingres but then going his own way with the patterned wallpaper. He’s got this desire to flatten things out while also trying to get the volume of the figure. I'm thinking about other artists who play with figure/ground relationships – maybe Guston? He's constantly talking to other painters, riffing on the masters, like playing in a band together. Painting’s like that, this ongoing exchange of ideas and forms. You bring your own thing to it and make it new.