Matisse started work on La Danse inachevée in 1931. He drew the eight figures using charcoal attached to a long bamboo. The figures were then painted in grey on a blue background. However, he realized that the size of the work — ca. 355 by 1270 cm (roughly 12 × 42 feet) — would require too much rehandling.
The unfinished work was rediscovered in 1992 and is now in the Museum of Modern Art in Paris