Blue Nude III 1952

"Blue Nude III" is a 1952 gouache on paper by Henri Matisse, depicting a nude female figure in a simplified, abstract style. Matisse, a key figure in Fauvism and later known for his simplified and colorful depictions of the human form, here reduces the figure to a series of bold, blue shapes against a light background. The work is notable for its bold use of color, its emphasis on form over detail, and its exploration of the human figure as a source of abstract beauty. It is part of a series of "Blue Nudes" created between 1952 and 1954, and is currently housed in the Georges Pompidou Center, Paris.