What are the Blue Nudes?
The Blue Nudes are four paper cut-outs that Henri Matisse, born in 1869 and died in 1954, made in 1952, near the end of his life. Sheets of paper were painted with gouache, Matisse cut shapes from them with scissors, and assistants pinned the pieces to the wall until he was satisfied with the arrangement.
Each figure is a single flat colour, ultramarine blue on white, drawn only by its outline and by the space around it. The four are known as Blue Nude I to IV.
Is a Blue Nude print an original?
No. The cut-outs themselves are fragile works held by museums. What reaches the market is printed material after them: lithographs, offset prints and posters, some published as editions and some not.
A print after Matisse is a reproduction of his composition. It is not a work by his hand, and a seller who lets you believe otherwise is the one to walk away from. At Arts Bespoke every such work is labelled as a print, with the edition stated only when it has been established.
How to read the signature on a print
Many Blue Nude prints carry the words H. Matisse and the date 52 in the lower margin. On many prints that is part of the printed image, copied from the composition, and not a signature written by the artist. What a particular print carries depends on its edition.
To tell the difference, look at the lettering closely in raking light. A printed signature is part of the image and is identical on every copy. A hand signature sits on the paper and varies in pressure, and may be in pencil. Looking is not proof either way, so ask for the publisher's evidence. A number such as 169/360 marks a stated numbered edition. It does not tell you who authorised the edition, or whether proofs and unnumbered copies also exist.
What to ask before you buy
- Who published the print, and in what year?
- Is the signature printed or written by hand?
- Is there an edition number, and can the publisher or a certificate be named?
- What are the paper and the printing method?
- Is the glass UV filtering, and is the paper kept clear of the mount?
Framing and hanging a Blue Nude
Strong blues can fade under direct sunlight, depending on the inks and the exposure, so hang a print away from a window and ask for UV filtering glass. A thin gold or white frame lets the flat colour carry the room.
The figures work as a group. Four prints hung two above two read as one large piece, and a pair or a single print suits a narrower wall. The preview at /on-your-wall/ shows a work at true size on a photograph of your own room.
Buying a Matisse Blue Nude print in India
Arts Bespoke in Mumbai shows four framed Blue Nude prints, each on its own page, and they can be asked for singly or together. Price is given on request, once the edition has been established. If you own a Blue Nude print and want to know what it is, send a photograph and the house will give a written opinion.
Sources
Written by the house and last reviewed on 21 October 2026. General information only: for a decision about a particular work, write to the house or take professional advice.
The Matisse Blue Nude printsWorks availableSee it on your wallFraming and careWhat is it worth?
