Auguste Pellerin II

Auguste Pellerin had made a fortune in margarine and spent it on paintings, owning at one point around 80 Cezannes, more than almost anyone alive. In 1916 he asked Matisse for his portrait and disliked the result, so Matisse tried again. This second version, dated May 1917, is the one Pellerin accepted. Matisse pared everything down to a severe, upright figure ringed in black, the face reduced to a few firm marks, the collector staring out with the authority of a man used to owning great pictures. He is said to have later regretted turning down the first portrait and asked to buy both cheaply. Matisse refused and was paid in full for the pair.