Art Institute of Chicago

Woman before an Aquarium

Henri Matisse

Date

1921–23

Medium

Oil on canvas

Culture

France

Department

Modern Art

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

In the first two decades of the 20th century, Henri Matisse visited exhibitions of Islamic art and traveled to Algeria and Morocco, where he collected pottery, textiles, and tiles. Years later while living in Nice, France, Matisse reflected on these experiences, integrating visual elements he encountered, such as the patterned textile screen, into his paintings. In Woman before an Aquarium , the carefully subdued decorative pattern of the screen contributes to the psychologically rich, contemplative mood of this interior scene.

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