Famous French artist, Henri Matisse, pictured in his studio in Issy-les Moulineaux in 1909.
Henri Matisse is generally acknowledged to be one of the most important artists of the 20th century. Renowned for his expressive, fluid lines, exquisite use of colour, and innovative cut-out collages, Matisse remains one of the most popular artists in the world more than 70 years since his death.
The French artist is primarily thought of as a painter, though he was also a skilled draughtsman and sculptor, and printmaking was an important part of his practice, too. Indeed, prints now account for 80% of his work sold at auction, where the majority fetch between £1,000 and £5,000, with many attaining far higher prices.
Below is a list of Henri Matisse’s five most expensive prints sold at auction. If you own an Henri Matisse print and would like to know more about how much it might be worth, or how to sell it, why not contact Mark Littler today?
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Océanie, Le Ciel
Henri Matisse was born in northern France on New Year’s Eve, 1869, and he spent most of his life in his native country, even choosing to remain in Vichy France after the Nazi invasion. He did, however, travel extensively, and in 1930, he chose to journey to the island of Tahiti, keen to explore the quality of the light in the southern hemisphere.
Though he was already a well-known artist by this time, he was struggling to work, writing in 1929 that “In front of the canvas, I have no ideas whatever.” Upon arriving in Tahiti, he was initially disappointed, but his memories and impressions of the island matured and percolated over time, and, in the mid-1940s, they became a source of inspiration. As Matisse later said, “The memories of my voyage to Tahiti have only now returned to me, 15 years later, in the form of obsessive images: madrepores, corals, birds, jellyfish, sponges.”
These obsessive images were the basis for Océanie, Le Ciel and Océanie, La Mer, two screenprints on linen which were designed as complementary wall hangings. Both remain extremely popular in today’s market, and Océanie, Le Ciel achieved a record price when it was sold by Christie’s in April 2022 for £2,742,092, more than £1.2 million above its top estimate.
Océanie, Le Ciel sold by Christie’s in 2022
Océanie, La Mer
This is the other screenprint on linen which resulted from Matisse’s trip to Tahiti. Like Océanie, Le Ciel, its creation is often regarded as an important moment in Matisse’s career, as these prints were among his first experiments in using his famous cut-out technique to create something on such a large scale.
Matisse was very pleased with both Océanie prints, claiming, “I absorbed everything [in Tahiti] as a sponge absorbs liquid. It is only now that these wonders have returned to me, with tenderness and clarity, and have permitted me, with protracted pleasure, to execute these two panels.” Océanie, La Mer accounts for five of Matisse’s six most expensive prints sold at auction, with this particular print having been sold by Christie’s in June 2011 for £2.6 million, significantly exceeding its £500,000 to £700,000 estimate.
Jazz
In 1941, Matisse was diagnosed with abdominal cancer and underwent urgent surgery. The procedure resulted in complications that made it impossible for him to stand for long periods of time. He became reliant on a wheelchair, meaning he could no longer paint or sculpt as before. But Matisse had not expected to recover at all from the operation; he said he was “living on borrowed time”, and he called his last years his “second life”. They were marked by intense creative fervour and impressive resilience; as the artist once said, “I completely forget my physical suffering… and I think only of the joy of seeing the sun rise once more and being able to work a little bit, even under difficult conditions.”
It was under these difficult conditions that he first started working on Jazz, a series of 20 vibrant cut-out collages which Matisse said came “from crystallisations of memories of circuses, folktales, and voyages.” The compositions were published in an artist’s book, Jazz, in 1947, accompanied by Matisse’s own poetic, thoughtful reflections. The prints remain extremely popular in today’s market, and this set of printer’s proofs surpassed its top estimate by almost £280,000 when it was sold by Sotheby’s in November 2015 for £609,112.
Grande Odalisque À La Culotte Bayadère
Henriette Darricarrère was Matisse’s most important model for most of the 1920s. According to records, not only was she naturally graceful and beautiful, but she was also able to hold uncomfortable poses for hours at a time, and she was adept at slipping into different roles, depending on what was required for the image. She is best known for appearing in many of Matisse’s odalisque pieces (inspired by his two trips to Morocco between 1912 and 1913), including this lithograph from 1925.
The sensuous lithograph displays Matisse’s impressive printmaking skills, and the detailed interplay of light, texture, and pattern are exemplary of his artistic vision. The print is very popular at auction, and the most expensive to date was sold by Christie’s in October 2001 for £412,860.
Grande Odalisque À La Culotte Bayadère sold by Chrstie’s in 2001
La Danse
Matisse often reworked themes, ideas, and images found in his art, sometimes experimenting with using the same motifs in different mediums. La Danse generally refers to Matisse’s 1910 painting of the same name, featuring a circle of naked, dancing figures holding hands. But it’s also the name of the triptych mural Matisse was commissioned to create in the Barnes Foundation, a prestigious museum in Philadelphia established in 1922.
The enormous mural was emotionally and physically taxing for Matisse, but he was pleased with the results when it was finally completed in 1932. It then served as the basis for this print dating from 1935-36, which was sold by Christie’s in October 2000 for £124,794, more than £40,000 above its top estimate.
La Danse sold by Christie’s in 2000
