Oeuvres Modernes sur papier

Among the highlights of this sale is a charcoal drawing by Matisse from the series Thèmes et variations: Femme étendue, executed on 17 October 1941. At this time, which is considered to be the height of the artist’s career, Matisse explored a technique based on repetition, reworking his drawings in order to let an instinctive and masterful outline arise. Two works on paper by Fernand Léger of exceptional quality, Les Trois masques : Afrique, Océanie et Amérique (1922) and Le pêcheur (1921), will also be offered alongside seven drawings fresh to the market from the prestigious collection of Eugène Rehns. Another genius draughtsman, Edgar Degas reveals the modernity of his line in his charcoal work entitled Femme s’essuyant. Realised between 1895 and 1900, this work differentiates itself from his well-known ballerinas and marks a turning point in artistic reflection; the painter removes himself from the scene, the subject becomes more intimate and the gesture both freer and more powerful.