Woman Reclining

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FROM THE BARNES FOUNDATION’S CATALOG

A model reclines cozily, legs crossed, on a magenta sofa. She's posing as an odalisque in an "oriental" costume of baggy red trousers, a white-and-gold head cover, and three green rings. The room is a riot of decorative patterns: spotted mauve curtains around a shuttered French window, brown arabesques on a pink field, green flowers on an orange field, and a purple-and-pink grid of tiles. Matisse adopted the theme of the odalisque from Delacroix and Renoir, and he intended to create an atmosphere of well-being and reverie for the spectator.

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