Woman before an Aquarium
Henri Matisse (French, 1869–1954)1921–23
View the original$18
Type
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Materials & printing
Archival matte paper, 189 g/m² (10.3 mil), sourced from Japan, printed with multicolor water-based inkjet so every brushstroke stays crisp. Framed prints arrive ready to hang in a .75″ ayous-wood frame with an acrylite front. Sized to standard frames by cropping, never stretching — at most about 3% comes off one edge, which isn’t noticeable on most pieces, and we only offer a size when it stays that small.
Shipping & returns
Made to order and delivered in 5–8 business days (2–4 to print, 3–4 in transit). US shipping only for now. Because each print is made for your order, all sales are final — but if it arrives damaged or defective, send us a photo within 14 days and we’ll replace it free. Full policy.
Why is it this affordable?
A thin, flat margin on every piece — just enough to keep the store running. Most of what you pay is the print itself. We only sell sizes that reproduce at full quality, and we don’t mark up the large sizes the way most shops do.
About this work
In the first two decades of the 20th century, Henri Matisse visited exhibitions of Islamic art and traveled to Algeria and Morocco, where he collected pottery, textiles, and tiles. Years later while living in Nice, France, Matisse reflected on these experiences, integrating visual elements he encountered, such as the patterned textile screen, into his paintings. In Woman before an Aquarium, the carefully subdued decorative pattern of the screen contributes to the psychologically rich, contemplative mood of this interior scene.
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Original size
- 81.2 × 100.2 cm (31 15/16 × 39 7/16 in.)
Museum record · 1 owner · 13 exhibitions
Provenance
- The artist; sold to Bernheim-Jeune, Paris, June 12, 1923; sold for 11,200 francs to Frederick Clay Bartlett (1873–1953), Chicago, June 14, 1923; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, Jan. 27, 1926.
Exhibitions
- Art Institute of Chicago, Group of Modern Paintings from the Birch-Bartlett Collection, Sept. 8–Oct. 22, 1923, no cat. Art Institute of Chicago, Birch-Bartlett Collection of Modern European Paintings, Sept. 3–Oct. 22, 1924, no cat. Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Exhibition of Modern French Paintings from the Birch-Bartlett Collection Lent by Frederick C. Bartlett of Chicago, Apr. 1925, as Goldfish Bowl.
- Art Institute of Chicago, Birch-Bartlett Collection of Modern European Paintings, Sept. 8–Oct. 8, 1925, no cat. Boston Art Club, Birch-Bartlett Collection of Modern French Paintings, Dec. 9–26, 1925, as Femme devant un aquarium.
- New York, Museum of Modern Art, Painting in Paris from American Collections, Jan. 19–Feb. 16, 1930, as Woman Looking at Aquarium.
- Providence, Rhode Island School of Design, Modern French Art, Mar. 11–31, 1930, as Woman Looking at Aquarium, 1910–17.
- Art Institute of Chicago, “A Century of Progress”: Loan Exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture, June 1–Nov. 1, 1933, as Woman before an Aquarium, 1921.
- Art Institute of Chicago, “A Century of Progress”: Exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture for 1934, June 1–Nov. 1, 1934, as Woman before an Aquarium, 1921.
- Philadelphia Museum of Art, Henri Matisse: Retrospective Exhibition of Paintings, Drawings, and Sculpture, Apr. 3–May 10, 1948, as Woman Before an Aquarium, 1924.
- Art Institute of Chicago, Masterpiece of the Month: Woman before an Aquarium by Henri Matisse, Sept. 1950, no cat. New York, Museum of Modern Art, Henri Matisse, Nov. 13, 1951–Jan. 13, 1952, as Woman before an Aquarium, (1921); Cleveland Museum of Art, Feb. 5– Mar. 16, 1952; Art Institute of Chicago, Apr. 1–May 4, 1952; San Francisco Museum of Art, May 22–July 6, 1952.
- Paris, Musée national d’art moderne, Rétrospective Henri Matisse, July 28–Nov. 18, 1956, as Femme devant un Aquarium, 1921.
- New York, Museum of Modern Art, Henri Matisse: A Retrospective, Sept. 24, 1992–Jan. 12, 1993, as Woman Before an Aquarium/Femme devant un aquarium.
- Zurich, Kunsthaus, Max Beckmann und Paris: Matisse, Picasso, Braque, Léger, Rouault, Sept. 25, 1998–Jan. 3, 1999, as Frau vor einem Aquarium/Femme devant un aquarium, 1921/23; Saint Louis Art Museum, Feb. 6–May 9, 1999, as Woman Before a Fish Bowl, 1921/23.
- Düsseldorf, K20 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Henri Matisse: Figur, Farbe, Raum, Oct. 29, 2005–Feb. 19, 2006, as Femme devant un aquarium/Frau mit Goldfischen, 1921–1923; Basel, Foundation Beyeler, Mar. 19–July 9, 2006.
- Fort Worth, Kimbell Art Museum, The Age of Picasso and Matisse: Modern Masters from the Art Institute of Chicago, Oct. 6, 2013–Feb. 16, 2014, no cat. no., as Woman before an Aquarium, 1921–23.
