Etude pour Deux personnages féminins et le chien 1938

Henri Matisse made this charcoal drawing, titled "Etude pour Deux personnages féminins et le chien," at some point during his prolific career. A study such as this reveals the labor and preparation behind a finished painting, but it can also stand on its own as a work of art. Matisse was working during a period of institutional change, when the old French academy was losing its grip on artistic taste, and new venues for exhibiting art were emerging. His work was initially considered shocking because it broke with traditional forms. But as you can see here, Matisse also mastered academic techniques of representation, such as careful modeling of the human form. To understand Matisse fully, art historians explore not just the artist's biography but also the changing exhibition culture of Paris in the early 20th century, as well as the networks of collectors and critics who supported his work. After all, even radical artists need institutions to display and sell their work.