Original Copperplate Etching by Henri Matisse: Mlle M.M. 1920
This original etching is the centerpiece of the landmark 1920 publication "Cinquante Dessins" (Fifty Drawings). Released as the first plate in a series of 50 in a self-published retrospective of drawings of women in various poses, Henri Matisse opted to include an all new, original, hand signed etching as the frontispiece. For this important first image, Matisse chose to capture a portrait of his daughter, Marguerite Matisse, who acted as more than just a muse and model but also as her father's most devoted assistant, archivist, and primary witness to the creative evolution of Matisse's storied body of work.
As an etching, the lines featured in the print were carved directly in a wax coated copper plate, using a needle to expose the copper below. After the image was complete acid is poured over the exposed grooves which etches the copper plate, creating valleys for ink to transfer to the paper, resulting in not just a print but an original work of art, created by Henri Matisse himself.
Each subsequent print was hand signed in pencil before distribution to discerning collectors. "Mlle M.M." was a rare accessible original Henri Matisse artwork at the time of it's initial creation and has only become more rare in the years since. This piece is a vital entry in the Matisse graphic archive and is vully documented in the Duthuit Catalogue Raisonné as an original work, representing the "Gold Standard" for collectors looking to acquire lifetime impressions with an original signature.
Artwork Details
- Artist: Henri Matisse
- Title: Mlle M.M. (Marguerite Matisse), 1920
- Category: Limited Edition
- Medium: Original Etching
- Edition: 256/1000
- Portfolio: Cinquante Dessins
- Signature: Plate Signed
- Paper Size: 8⅛" x 11⅞"
- Paper Type: Hollande van Gelder
- Printer: Henri Matisse
- Publisher: Self-Published, Henri Matisse, 1920
- Reference: Duthuit 2
Includes COA from Gold & Silver Pawn Shop
Framing included, as pictured