In 1917, Henri Matisse chose to distance himself from the city of Paris and relocated to Cimiez, a hillside neighborhood in Nice with views of the Mediterranean. In several graphic works, the woman in Figure in an Interior appears from varying vantage points within the artist’s apartment. In this instance, she is seated in a chair, arms crossed. Depicted in the background is a dramatic, drawn curtain that reveals another room in which an easel appears next to a window. Matisse’s studio and living space was a recurring subject in numerous works throughout his long career. However, the walls of his residences eventually became his canvas. Not only would he draw directly on them, but they would also serve as a compositional support for his largest cut-outs.

Label from Matisse and the Art of Jazz, January 20–July 1, 2018