Half-Length Nude, Arms Bent Towards Eyes (Nu mi-allongé, bras repliés vers les yeux)

Half-Length Nude, Arms Bent Towards Eyes (Nu mi-allongé, bras repliés vers les yeux) is an essential lithograph created by Henri Matisse in 1906. This powerful example of early Modernist graphic art depicts a female nude in a half-length composition, characterized by a complex, intimate pose where the arms are bent sharply, partially obscuring the figure’s face. Classified as a print, this work exemplifies the French artist’s increasing reliance on foundational elements of line and volume during a critical period of stylistic transition.

Executed shortly after the peak of Fauvism, the 1906 piece reflects Matisse’s evolving commitment to structure, moving beyond purely intense color toward formal investigation of the human figure. The choice of lithograph was deliberate, offering the artist a medium that emphasizes a direct, fluid approach, allowing him to render form and shadow with economical precision. Matisse utilizes the subtle tonal gradations achievable through greasy crayon on the printing stone to convey the modeling of the body, highlighting the strong, muscular contours of the subject. The expressive, often calligraphic lines define the figure's silhouette while the delicate shading lends a sculptural quality to the torso.

The deliberate ambiguity surrounding the model’s expression or identity, concealed by her hands, forces the viewer’s attention onto the rhythmic flow of the forms themselves. This print stands as a key component of Matisse’s broader exploration of the nude figure, a subject that would dominate his œuvre for decades. As an influential example of printmaking from the French avant-garde, the work is highly valued in scholarship. Today, this significant piece is housed within the renowned collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), making it accessible for study alongside other seminal works by Matisse.