Study of a Woman

Study of a Woman is related to Matisse’s painting La Musique (1939), and represents one of the two women pictured in the canvas. Rather than a traditional study, however, the drawing was an exercise in invention and variation, a way for Matisse to organize his thoughts and clarify his means before returning to the painting.

The tactile quality of Matisse’s exploration is found in the velvety deposits of charcoal left in the dark outline of the model’s features, her softly smudged skin and hair, and the brilliant areas of white left to describe her dress.