Océanie, La Mer
- Date
- designed 1946; made 1948
- Material
- Screenprint on linen
- made in
- Europe
- Classification
- Prints
- Collection
- Prints, Drawings, and Photographs
- Current Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 70 11/16 in. x 12 ft. 9 in. (179.5 x 388.6 cm)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Wilson
- Rights
- © 2013 Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
- Object Number
- 196:1962
NOTES
Henri Matisse depicted all manner of sea creatures—including abstract sharks, jellyfish, and rays, as well as coral formations and seaweed—in this large-scale tapestry. They suggest his memories of diving in French Polynesia. Matisse once described plunging into a crystal-clear ocean, where he could see “fish and great coral massifs as clearly as if there was no water.” For the artist, the lines above the jellyfish served as “signs” for the horizon line, while the beige background may reference sand.
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