Blue Nudes

"Blue Nudes" is a series of collages and color lithographs by Henri Matisse, featuring simplified nude figures created through paper cut-outs. Restricted by health issues following his stomach cancer surgery, Matisse innovatively crafted these Nude painting (nu) compositions by cutting and painting sheets of paper, elevating these works to the status of independent artworks. The series also includes editioned multiples based on the cut-outs, with Matisse supervising the production until his death in 1954. While rooted in modernist techniques, "Blue Nudes" show a departure from traditional Abstract expressionism, emphasizing pure form, color, and the expressive potential of the Nude figure.