Nude with the “Odalisks” of Matisse at sunset

The Tom Wesselmann Manor Museum, New York (the USA).

Canvas, oil.

Made in bright colours and a simplistic manner with large colour planes typical of the artist, the composition depicts two naked women. In this work, Tom Wesselmann paid tribute to the legacy of great Henri Matisse, quoting one of Matisse’s works and adding recognizable features of his creative manner to it. The woman in the background is copying one of the odalisks, while the lady in the foreground is a typical “American nude” by Wesselmann. The work demonstrates not only the love of its author for Matisse but also the importance of the works of this artist in contemporary art, as well as the strength of his influence, which does not fade over time.