Henri Matisse, Reader in a Purple Dress (1898). Matisse often portrayed women reading, capturing intimate, meditative moments that reflect his pursuit of serenity and harmony. For him, reading symbolizes a suspended moment in time, where body and mind merge in absolute tranquility.

Matisse once declared: “What I dream of is an art of balance, purity, and tranquility, free from unsettling or troubling subjects—something that serves as a soothing influence, a cerebral calmant for every intellectual worker, whether a businessman or an artist, much like a good armchair that provides relaxation from physical fatigue.”