Blue Nude, also known as Souvenir of Biskra, is an oil painting on canvas made by Henri Matisse. He made the painting because the sculpture of the nude he was working on shattered. Both the sculpture and painting were a tribute to Cézanne. Matisse appalled the French public in 1907 when he unveiled the painting at the Société des Artistes Indépendant. It was an international sensation for its controversial meaning. It became the source of controversy in the topics of race and colonialism. It was displayed later in New York during the Armory Show of 1913.

Blue Nude is a painting of a woman laying down nude with one leg over the other and one arm bent around her head. Matisse used strokes to make the painting sketch like and one can see the process of applying paint to the canvas through this. His painting was made to not show how realistic the girl can look but the opposite instead. The colors used to represent the shadows and details ok this woman are unusual and unrealistic. Also, sole features of the women like her fingers and toes did not have detail. This painting showed and caused the freedom of expression that was wished to have in the armory show. History was made with this beautiful showing.