...And to Lie Down Each Evening in Her Unhappiness... (...Et se coucher chaque soir dans son malheur...) (plate, page 75) from Pasiphaé: Chant de Minos (Les Crétois)
Henri Matisse
French, 1869–1954
1943–44, published 1944
A linoleum‑cut illustration by Henri Matisse that uses a dense black field and incised white lines to portray a curled figure, aiming to capture emotional solitude through extreme simplification.
You first notice a bold black rectangle pierced by smooth, ribbonlike white curves that outline a compact, reclining body and a simplified, mask‑like face, creating an intimate, almost carved silence.
Created late in his career for Pasiphaé, this linocut exemplifies Matisse’s radical reduction of form and dramatic use of negative space, showing how minimal graphic means can convey profound psychological and sculptural effect.
Medium
Linoleum cut from an illustrated book with 51 linoleum cuts (including wrapper)
Dimensions
composition: 9 11/16 x 7 1/16" (24.6 x 18 cm); page: 12 5/8 × 9 3/4" (32 × 24.8 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
The Louis E. Stern Collection
Accession
926.1964.19
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
