Nu couché à la coupe de fruits 1926

Henri Matisse made this lithograph of a reclining nude with fruit, or "Nu couché à la coupe de fruits" in French, using flowing lines on paper. Looking at this image, we can see a dialogue between the traditions of academic art and modernism that was going on in early 20th-century France. Matisse was influenced by classical art and he studied at the Académie Julian, but he also became a leading figure in the Fauvist movement. The reclining nude was a common subject in academic painting, but Matisse uses a simplified style, avoiding the details and realism of the academy. The flowers and fruit in the background evoke the classical theme of nature and fertility, but also the modern interest in pattern and decoration. By exploring Matisse's biography and the archives of institutions such as the Académie Julian and the Salon de Paris, we can learn more about the social and institutional conditions that shaped his art.