Nu reflété dans la glace 1936

Henri Matisse made this ink on paper drawing titled "Nu reflété dans la glace." Matisse, working in the early 20th century, was deeply immersed in a society undergoing massive shifts in understanding identity and representation. His odalisques and nudes must be considered as an element of a much broader debate around female representation that includes the work of artists like Picasso as well as feminist critiques around the objectification of the female body. Matisse was quoted as saying that he dreamt of "an art of balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter." In the context of its time, his pursuit of these ideals reads not as neutral but rather as a direct response to the disruptive influences of modernity and to the way world events changed human experience. Matisse's work, through his focus on color, form and line, evokes powerful emotions and offers a view into the complex ways of seeing and being seen.