Interior with an Etruscan Vase (Intérieur au vase étrusque)

"I have always tried," wrote Matisse, "to hide my own efforts and wished my works to have the lightness and joyousness of springtime." He achieved that aim in this canvas, painted in Nice during the early months of World War II. A tapestry design hangs behind the woman, while the window to the right is covered in black. The oak table, a light wood with a natural finish in real life, is painted black and green, thereby transforming it into a decorative shape that anchors the center of the composition.