In 1943, Matisse created a number of brilliant still lifes. One of them was “Tulips and Oysters on a Black Background”. Both the drawing and the canvas are based on the same motifs. Lidiya Delektorskaya explained Matisse’s attitude toward tulips: “He loved tulips, especially when they ceased blossoming and their withered petals turned into fanciful curls. He said they resembled birds. During this period, tulips were always present in his studio. I brought in fresh ones, or a bouquet just stayed and withered if it was an especially nice one”. The Chinese vase that is seen in this painting can be easily recognized among other things in the photograph, which captured various vessels painted by the artist. This drawing gives a full understanding of the master’s original drawing style, which acquired brilliance in 1935-1936 and then developed further. Matisse himself called the pen drawings “a sincere and the most genuine way to express feelings”.