Odalisques Playing Checkers
1928 Museum of Modern Art
About this artwork
This oil painting depicts two women in a staged interior setting, characteristic of Matisse's Nice period odalisques series. It uses bold, non-naturalistic colors and flattened perspectives typical of his style during the 1920s.
Did you know?
This work is a quintessential example of Matisse's 'Nice period,' during which he often staged models in elaborate, exoticized costumes against patterned backdrops. The painting draws from the Orientalist tradition, yet reinterprets it through Matisse's signature focus on color and decorative composition rather than realistic narrative. The inclusion of a checkerboard adds a subtle, playful element of domestic interaction to the otherwise static, decorative scene.
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Odalisques Playing Checkers
Henri Matisse, 1928
