Purple Robe and Anemones

This painting shows Matisse’s masterful control over color and pattern. The lithe form of the woman is accentuated by the flowing lines of her purple robe echoing the decoration of the blue and silver wall framing her. These soft waves harshly juxtapose against the strong red and yellow lines on the opposite wall and spreading across the floor. The woman’s golden hair resembles that of Lydia Delectorskaya, Matisse’s companion and muse, whom he met two years before the creation of this work in 1935.

Original Medium: oil on canvas

Original Size: 28 3/4 x 23 3/4 in.

Date: 1937

Location: Baltimore Museum of Art