Henri Matisse

1869-1954 · French · Fauvism, Modernism, School of Paris

Auction record: $80.75M

Odalisque couchée aux magnolias, 1923 · Christie's, New York · May 8, 2018

Biography

Henri Matisse (1869-1954) led Fauvism around 1905 and, with Picasso, defined modern painting in the first half of the 20th century. His use of pure, expressive color, flattened space and decorative pattern runs from the Fauve canvases through the Nice interiors and odalisques of the 1920s to the cut-paper gouaches of his last decade, such as Jazz. For the market he is one of the deepest names in Modern art: major paintings and bronzes appear in the New York evening sales most seasons, while prints, drawings and Jazz plates trade constantly worldwide. His auction record of $80.8 million was set in 2018, and La Chaise lorraine reached $48.4 million at Sotheby's New York in May 2026.

Recent auction results

La Chaise lorraine (1919)Sotheby's, New York	$48.41M	May 19, 2026	heni.com
La Séance du matin (1924)Sotheby's, New York	$20M	May 19, 2026	heni.com
Robe noire et robe violette (1938)Christie's, New York	$34.56M	May 18, 2026	heni.com
Figure décorative (1908, bronze)Sotheby's, New York	$16.71M	Nov 18, 2025	heni.com
Nu couché I (Aurore) (1907, bronze)Sotheby's, New York	$12.82M	Nov 18, 2025	heni.com

Market

Liquidity: High

Museums

Museum of Modern Art, New York
Centre Pompidou, Parigi
Musée Matisse, Nizza
State Hermitage Museum, San Pietroburgo
Baltimore Museum of Art

Sources

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