Henri Matisse, Le Rêve (The Dream)

Henri Matisse, Le Rêve (Figure Dormant, Fond Bleu), 1935; © Succession H. Matisse; photo credit: © Bertrand Prévost - Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Dist. RMN-GP.

There are relatively few elements in this Matisse painting, which makes it a good candidate for a modern reproduction. Even so, if the sketchy version below is a recently created copy, the contemporary artist clearly wasn't able to capture the essential quality of the original. The newer version might also be the result of an extreme photo edit, but in any case, the authentic work glows with a soft, dreamlike quality — so fitting to the subject — that the modern version lacks. Usually called Le Rêve (The Dream), this piece is also known as Figure Dormant, Fond Bleu (Sleeping Figure With a Blue Background).

Altered version of a painting by Henri Matisse.