Girl in Yellow and Blue with Guitar

“This striking portrait of a girl with a guitar showcases Henri Matisse's mastery of color and form, with bold hues and simplified shapes creating a powerful visual impact. It's a testament to his continued exploration of modern art in the late 1930s.”

ABOUT THIS WORK

A young woman, poised with a guitar, fills this canvas with an almost sculptural presence. Her yellow blouse and blue skirt are rendered with broad, confident strokes, creating a vibrant contrast against the patterned backdrop. The simple lines and bold colors here reflect a period in the artist's career when he was exploring a bolder simplification of form, moving away from the more relaxed style of the 1920s. The painting's history is notably complex; it was confiscated from its owner, Paul Rosenberg, by the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg during World War II, before being restituted and eventually finding its way to the Art Institute of Chicago. This work, painted in 1939, captures a moment of quiet contemplation, inviting viewers to appreciate the interplay of color and form.

DETAILS

Artist: Henri Matisse
Date: 1939
Medium: Oil on canvas
Location: Art Institute of Chicago
Dimensions: 65.5 × 51 cm (25 3/4 × 20 1/16 in.)
Collection: Modern Art
Credit line: Brooks McCormick Estate

ART MOVEMENTS

Fauvism Impressionism Neo-Impressionism Post-Impressionism

LOOK CLOSER

What to Notice

Five details hide in plain sight. Pick one and we’ll show you exactly where to look.

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The resting face

Find the pink face tilted against her hand. The eyes and brows are a few quick black lines, and her expression reads as calm, maybe a little guarded.

1 of 4 on the painting

The leaning guitar

The pale orange guitar sits at the lower right, outlined in red, with the sound hole drawn as a loose ring. It rests upright beside her and is not being played.

2 of 4 on the painting

Black contour lines

Follow the thick black strokes down the blue skirt. They fold the fabric and flatten it into shapes, like drawing done with a loaded brush.

3 of 4 on the painting

Striped blue wall

Black vertical bars run down the blue wall at left. Their steady rhythm contrasts with the curved chair back and the sweeping folds of the skirt.

4 of 4 on the painting

05Whole painting

Primary color blocks

Yellow, blue and red meet in big flat areas. The blue dress sits against red floor and chair, so the figure feels solid and vivid.

AUDIO DEEP DIVE

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THE ARTIST

Henri Matisse

1869–1954 · France

Henri Matisse, a master of color and form, moved from law to art after an appendicitis recovery, becoming a defining figure of 20th-century modern art.

Read Matisse’s full story