Matisse painted this portrait of his wife in the summer of 1913, in the garden of his house at Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris. Amelie posed for her husband in a green garden chair, looking elegant, relaxed and firmly in control. Her pose is precisely but simply conveyed, her erect back and her perfect dress-sense making her the very epitome of the Parisian "dame". The artist made use of the traditional scheme of an official, society portrait, but gave it a totally untraditional resonance. Amelie's face lies in greenish shade. The simple outline and severely schematic features recall a mask, something which not only hides the inner essence of the sitter but embodies some mysterious content which cannot be explained by logic or clarity.
[Oil on canvas, 146 x 97.7 cm]
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