Henri Matisse — Odalisque in Grey Trousers

Painted in Nice as part of Matisse's Odalisque series, this work takes its name from the grey trousers, or "sarouel," worn by the model. Traditionally worn in North Africa and the Middle East, the garment lent the scene an air of the East that Matisse was after. The setting might look like somewhere in the Middle East, but it's actually Matisse's own apartment in Nice, dressed up with draped fabric and a folding screen to evoke an Islamic interior. With so much vivid color on the canvas, the composition could easily have tipped into gaudiness—but Matisse, ever the master colorist, arranged every hue with enough precision to keep it elegant.