Seated Nude Woman

• Paul Signac (1863–1935)
• 1906
• Brush, ink, and graphite on paper
• Bequest of Scofield Thayer, 1982
• (1984.433.322)

Paul Signac’s collection of more than 250 works included nudes by Georges Seurat and Henri Matisse, reflecting his interest in the subject. This drawing is one of the very few nudes in Signac’s own oeuvre. The woman’s upswept hair, reinforced with a dark wash, is the most striking feature of the figure, sketched in bold strokes over lighter pencil lines. The pose and treatment of the body’s contours reveal the influence of Matisse’s nudes.