Original Etching, 1916/17 , on Chine Appliqué paper supported on Velin Arches paper, signed by the artist and numbered in ink. With full margins.
Size: 90 x 65 mms (Plate size) ; 280 x 185 mms (paper size)
Edition: 12/15 ; There were also 2 stage proofs and 2 trial proofs.
Reference: Duthuit - Matisse 76
Provenance: The stock of Henri M Petiet, Paris. The dealers stamp H.M.P in an oval, verso. Petiet was one of the most famous art dealers of Paris in the post war era. He bought the stock of Vollard on that dealers untimely death and proceeded to become one of the leading print dealers in Paris. The fact that our piece eminates from this source gives authenticity and prominence to it.
Note : This early and rare etching was a portrait of a very young girl. In the seven years after his woodcuts of 1906 Matisse had made very few prints but in 1914 he turned back to printmaking with enthusiasm making about 8 or 9 lithographs, over 60 etchings and about 9 monotypes. Matisse’s depression of spirit caused by the war may have led him to work on a smaller scale then before, just as it caused him to renew his interest in music and the violin. Most of the etchings of this period are portraits of his friends. They include Mdme Derain, Mme Galanis, Mme Gris, all wives of artists, Mme La Forge, Mme Vignier and her little daughter, Irene, who was the subject of our etching and 6 others in a series. Some of these may have been commissioned and some of the subjects may have been paid sitters. Possibly Matisse planned to publish the series, or a selection from it, in an album but in the end they were all created in small editions of 5 to 15 proofs. Emma L was the subject of many monotypes by Matisse (Numbers 364 - 377), a number of drawings and several , etchings.
Exhibitions: 1970: Pully, no 23 1982, Friborg, No 53, 1981 Paris BN No 17
Public Collections: Paris, Bibliotheque National, Baltimore Museum of Art

Good - Framed in gilded frame