Odalisque, Brazier, and Bowl of Fruit

Henri Matisse

1929

Lithograph

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A nude woman reclines on a patterned cushion, resting her head on her hand. In front of her is a table laden with fruit, a brazier, and a patterned curtain hangs to the left. A nude woman reclines on a patterned cushion, resting her head on her hand. In front of her is a table laden with fruit, a brazier, and a patterned curtain hangs to the left. The reclining female nude has been a recurring subject in the history of Western European art. The 15th-century Renaissance tradition of depiction of erotic female nude in the guise of mythological goddesses gave way to the imaginary Orientalist genre scenes and reclining “Odalisque” paintings in the 19th-century. Odalisque, a female slave or concubine in imperial Ottoman harem, became an inspiring subject for many French masters including Henri Matisse. The re