Portrait of a Woman with a Hood

Matisse produced this sketch of his secretary and model Lydia Delectorskaya in 1939. It bears an inscription to her. He depicted her with the same charm and sense of novelty which so often appeared in his graphic and painted works of the 1930s and 1940s. In Matisse's hands, drawing is a sensitive instrument, it resounds in unison with his feelings, thoughts and senses. He makes marvellous use in the portrait of all the potential of the pencil, combining elegantly precise lines with soft flexibility. The streaming lines of the hood and the elegantly tied ribbon seem to resonate with quiet music. They emphasize the strict drawing of the tender, inspired face, deep in its stream of hidden thoughts. With just a few lines Matisse outlines the mysterious half-smile of the eyes.