Provenance
Given by the artist to his student, Patrick Henry Bruce (1881–1936), Paris and New York, c. 1908 or 1909 [inscription]; by descent to his wife, Mme. Hélène Bruce (née Helen Frances Kibbey, 1880–1962), New York and Los Angeles; sold to Mr. and Mrs. Vincent (1911-1993) Price, Los Angeles, 1946 [according to McLiam and a conversation with Victoria Price November 16, 2004; Los Angeles 1991 exh. cat.]; by descent to their daughter, Victoria Price [according to Ms. Price]; sold to an unidentified Swiss dealer, spring 1994. Sold by Galerie Hopkins Thomas, Paris, to Dr. and Mrs. Martin Gecht, 1995.
Accession Number
180675
Medium
Reed and metal-nibbed dip pens and black ink, over black crayon, on tan wove paper, laid down on off-white wove card, perimeter mounted to off-white wove card
Dimensions
Primary support: 30.8 × 19.5 cm (12 3/16 × 7 11/16 in.); Secondary support: 34.5 × 22.7 cm (13 5/8 × 8 15/16 in.); Tertiary support: 47 × 34.5 cm (18 9/16 × 13 5/8 in.)
Classification
drawings (visual works)
Credit Line
Gift of the Gecht Family
Background & Context
Background Story
Henri Matisse's Self-Portrait (c. 1901) is a drawing in reed and metal-nibbed dip pens and black ink over black crayon on tan wove paper. Matisse (1869-1954) was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, the leader of the Fauvist movement and a master of color, line, and form who continued to innovate throughout his long career. This early self-portrait from around 1901, when Matisse was in his early thirties, shows him still developing his style. The pen and ink technique is energetic and searching, the lines defining the features of his face with an intensity that conveys both his physical appearance and the seriousness of his artistic purpose. This self-portrait captures Matisse at a crucial moment in his development, before he had achieved the fame that would come with the Fauvist exhibition of 1905, but already showing the determination and self-awareness that would drive his career.
Cultural Impact
Matisse's self-portraits document his artistic evolution, showing the artist's changing conception of himself as he moved from the struggles of his early career to the triumphs of his maturity.
Why It Matters
This early self-portrait captures the young Matisse at a turning point in his career, the energetic pen lines conveying both his physical appearance and the intensity of his artistic ambition.
