Kneeling nude with bent back (Nu agenouillé et cambré)

Kneeling nude with bent back (Nu agenouillé et cambré) by Henri Matisse is a precise and intimate example of the artist's graphic output from the period immediately following World War I. Created in 1918, this print demonstrates Matisse’s technical versatility, utilizing etching enhanced by the specialized process of chine collé. This demanding technique involves bonding a thin, delicate sheet of paper (the chine) onto a heavier support sheet simultaneously during the printing process. The resulting effect often lends a subtle, warm tonality or distinct textural element to the final image, contrasting with the sharp definition of the etched lines.

The subject matter focuses tightly on a solitary female figure. Matisse captures the model in a challenging, highly stylized pose, balancing on her hands and knees with her back sharply bent or cambré. The composition emphasizes the rhythmic flow of the figure’s contours, distilled through the artist's remarkably economical line. Matisse employs minimal, yet highly expressive lines to delineate volume and tension, treating the figure less as a realistic depiction and more as an exploration of formal structure and pure draftsmanship.

During the late 1910s, Matisse increasingly turned to graphic mediums like etching and lithography, using these prints as essential tools for rigorous formal study. This French artwork from 1918 reflects a subtle return to classical draftsmanship and formal balance, characteristic of the artistic shifts happening internationally at the time. The concentration required for etching allowed Matisse to refine and distill the essence of the human form, an ongoing pursuit throughout his career. This piece is significant within the artist's legacy, showcasing how he maintained a continuous dialogue between his painterly concerns and his work in black-and-white printmaking. This edition resides in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).