Nude with Blue Cushion (Nu au coussin bleu)

Nude with Blue Cushion (Nu au coussin bleu) is a celebrated lithograph created by the renowned French artist Henri Matisse in 1924. This exquisite print exemplifies Matisse's focus on the female figure during his highly productive Nice Period, successfully combining the decorative quality of his intimate interiors with a renewed emphasis on classical draftsmanship and formal balance.

Executed using the lithographic process, the work captures the soft tonalities and textural variation unique to this printmaking medium. Matisse employs both defined contour lines and subtle sfumato-like shading to render the figure of the reclining nude. She is positioned diagonally within a shallow interior space, defining the composition while interacting minimally with her surroundings. She rests against the namesake element-the large, richly textured blue cushion-which provides a key point of chromatic contrast and decorative weight against the relatively unadorned background.

Dating from 1924, this composition aligns with a broader post-war "return to order" observed in much of European art following the trauma of the First World War. However, Matisse consistently integrates this structured classicism with the decorative patterning inherent to modernism. The figure, often interpreted as one of his frequent models from the period, embodies tranquility and grace, demonstrating the artist’s continued mastery in depicting volume, intimacy, and form through the subtle economy of line. The delicate handling of light and shadow reinforces the sculptural quality of the subject, marking it as a pivotal example of graphic art produced by the artist in the mid-1920s.

This significant work, which demonstrates the French master's prolific output of fine prints during the interwar era, is housed in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York. It remains a key artifact showcasing Matisse’s enduring commitment to the nude figure as a central motif in his modern interpretation of traditional themes.