The Pianist Alfred Cortot (Le Pianiste Alfred Cortot)

The Pianist Alfred Cortot (Le Pianiste Alfred Cortot), created by Henri Matisse in 1927, is a distinguished example of the artist's prolific engagement with intaglio printmaking during his mature period. This fine art print, classified as a drypoint with chine collé, depicts the renowned Swiss-French classical musician Alfred Cortot (1877-1962), capturing a moment of stillness or contemplation outside of performance.

Matisse executed the image using the drypoint method, an intaglio technique where the lines are scratched directly into a copper plate. This process creates a burr that retains the ink, resulting in the characteristic velvety, soft, and slightly blurred edges seen in many of his prints. The subtlety of the image is further enhanced by the use of chine collé, a specialized process in which a thinner, often fragile paper (the chine) is laminated onto a sturdier paper backing simultaneously during the printing phase. This delicate layering gives the finished French print a unique textural depth and visual luminosity not achievable on standard print paper alone.

The 1927 work exemplifies Matisse’s mastery of reductive draftsmanship, focusing on contour and essential form to convey the subject’s character rather than relying on detailed modeling or heavy shadow. During the late 1920s, the artist frequently turned to graphic arts to explore themes of portraiture and the female form, treating the print plate as an extension of his highly refined drawing practice. Cortot, an influential figure in the music world, represented the connection between high culture and avant-garde sensibilities in Paris. This specific rendering of the sitter stands out among Matisse’s prints for its sense of elegant simplicity. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), representing a key moment in the history of modern graphic art.