Artist | Henri Matisse (1869 - 1954)

Year | 1917

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

92 x 73 cm

Location

Orangerie Museum → Level -2, Room 11

The Three Sisters

This portrait of three sisters is one of Henri Matisse's masterworks, featuring three young brunettes seated before a bistre background. While two of the young women look out at the viewer, the third is absorbed in her reading, showcasing their different attitudes. The painter successfully creates a perfect balance between seemingly incompatible elements, such as discordant colors and the impression of juxtaposed levels of perspective. The work was inspired by multiple sources, including Manet's paintings, Japanese engraving, and the painting Les dames de Gand (The Three Gand Ladies) conserved at the Louvre, which was attributed to Jacques-Louis David at the time. Matisse's interest in this subject was expressed many times, leading to several versions; notably, three other paintings of the three sisters are conserved at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia. This particular version in the Musée de l'Orangerie was one of the few works Paul Guillaume purchased at a public sale. It is highly likely he acquired it in memory of the other paintings of the sisters he had previously ceded to Doctor Barnes while helping build his collection.