91 - Henri Matisse (1869–1954)

Henri Matisse (1869–1954) The Thousand and One Nights. She Saw Him Appear in the Morning, She Remained Discreetly Silent, 1950 Offset print on paper 49.4 x 119 (image size) Signature: on the front, “H. Matisse” Date: on the front, “Juin 50” Distinctive features: on the reverse, stamp of the Martinazzo Art Gallery in Montebelluna Provenance: Martinazzo Gallery, Montebelluna; Veneto Banca SpA in LCA Condition. Support: 90% Condition. Surface: 90% For direct WhatsApp assistance before and during the live auction: +39 346 12 999 80 // Direct assistance via WhatsApp before and during the auction: +39 346 12 999 80 Henri Matisse—an Orientalist, an insomniac, and a giant of modern art—was always drawn to *One Thousand and One Nights*, the tale of how art can overcome fear and death. Matisse was 81 years old when he created a colorful and joyful collage dedicated to “One Thousand and One Nights.” Ill, unable to sleep, kept alive by his creative drive, he had much in common with the beautiful young Scheherazade, the legendary storyteller and heroine of “One Thousand and One Nights.” In this great literary work, compiled over the centuries from Persian, Asian, and Egyptian tales, a king would marry a young woman every day and have her beheaded the following morning. Scheherazade, his thousandth wife/victim, saved herself from death by telling a gripping story that ended on a cliffhanger just after dawn, ensuring her survival for 1,001 nights. Like her tales, Matisse’s *The Thousand and One Nights* is a work rich in symbolism, magic, and technical mastery, created by the artist during a time of intense personal hardship.