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Description

An aquatint after Henri Matisse (French, 1869 - 1954), which is entitled "Grand Tete de Katja." The original was printed in 1950. This plate signed piece is from a limited edition of 500. Matisse is one of the most highly regarded artist's of all time and this piece is a great example of his style and impact on the art world.

French painter and sculptor, Henri Matisse was the primary figure in the group of artists known as the Fauves and a major influence on twentieth-century painting. In the 1890s, Matisse studied in Paris as a pupil of Gustave Moreau at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. His style, deceptively simple, employs perfection of line to suggest the subject and usually, the happy application of bright colors to enhance the image. He is best known for his still life's and nudes. Matisse produced a large body of graphic work which included etchings, drypoints, woodcuts, lithographs, monotypes, and aquatints, as well as many literary illustrations. In his later years, when he was an invalid, he began his highly acclaimed series of cut-out collages which he called "drawings with scissors." He was honored with the Grand Prize at the Venice Biennale in 1950, and has consistently been exhibited in the world's finest galleries and museums. Matisse died in Nice on November 3, 1954. Unlike many artists, he was internationally popular during his lifetime, enjoying the favor of collectors, art critics, and the younger generation of artists.