Portrait of Elsa Triolet
1946
Created in November 1946, this intimate sketch features French writer Elsa Triolet wearing a hat that looks like a giant cinnamon roll perched on her head. Matisse, a giant of Modernism, personally dedicated the work to her in the bottom corner with the words 'Pour Elsa Triolet.' While he is famous for his vibrant paper cutouts from this late period, here he uses smudgy, expressive strokes to capture her enigmatic gaze and heavy shadows. Triolet was a celebrated author and the first woman to win the prestigious Prix Goncourt, making this a portrait of a true literary icon.
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