Signed and dated lower right: Henri Matisse / Mars 40

Pierre Matisse, New York; Dr. Maurice Wolf, New York, gift from the above, 1965; By descent to the present owner.

Henri Matisse (1869-1954) Still life with fruit basket and pitcher, 1940 Pencil on Arches paper 16 x 20-3/4 inches (40.6 x 52.7 cm) (sheet) Signed and dated lower right: Henri Matisse / Mars 40 PROVENANCE: Pierre Matisse, New York; Dr. Maurice Wolf, New York, gift from the above, 1965; By descent to the present owner. LITERATURE: L. Delectorskaya, Henri Matisse, contre vents et marées: Peinture et livres illustrés de 1939 à 1943, Paris, 1996, p. 80. NOTE: Wanda de Guébriant confirmed the authenticity of this drawing in 2018. Following the auction, the successful bidder may request a certificate of authenticity from Georges Matisse of the Archives Matisse. Matisse executed this drawing while working on the painting Nature morte à l'ananas, 1940 (MGM MIRAGE Collection, Las Vegas, Nevada). HID12401132022 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice

Pierre Matisse collector's stamp, verso. Arches watermark in lower right corner. Pinholes in the corners. Tape residue in corners verso, with associated discoloration visible recto. Toning to edges of sheet, mostly covered by window mat when framed. Two short horizontal tears, each approximately 1/8-inch in length, at upper left and right edges in the corners. An approximately 1/2-inch vertical tear near center of lower edge. Scattered soft creases, most apparent under raking light. A more pronounced hard crease in upper right corner, not visible when framed. A very few scattered small dots of foxing. Sheet is hinged to window mat at corners verso. Framed under glass. Framed Dimensions 24.5 X 29.25 Inches