Matisse on Art

Documents of Twentieth-Century Art

by Henri Matisse, Jack Flam (Editor)

The major writings of Henri Matisse (1869-1954), with the exception of the letters, are collected here along with transcriptions of important interviews and broadcasts given at various stages of Matisse's career. Jack Flam provides a biography, a general introduction that addresses the development of Matisse's aesthetic values and theories, and a critical introduction for each text.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Art History

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Henri Matisse (December 31, 1869 - November 03, 1954) was a French artist, known for his use of colour and his fluid, brilliant and original draughtsmanship.

As a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but principally as a painter, Matisse is one of the best-known artists of the 20th century. Although he was initially labeled as a Fauve (wild beast), by the 1920s, he was increasingly hailed as an upholder of the classical tradition in French painting.
His mastery of the expressive language of colour and drawing, displayed in a body of work spanning over a half-century, won him recognition as a leading figure in modern art.

Reviews

[Robert Poortinga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant

[Mark Dzula · Rating 3 out of 5]

It would be better to spend time with Matisse's work than read about it. There is even a great Matisse quote, "Whoever wishes to devote himself to painting should begin by cutting out his tongue." It is nonetheless striking to read about Matisse's fastidious approach to art and work. This radical artist believed in tradition, even as he pushed beyond it. I also appreciated his thoughts on the importance of labored practice to allow a sense of spontaneity and effortlessness into his work.

[scherzo♫ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Gustave Moreau loved to repeat 'The more imperfect the means, the more the sensibility manifests itself.' And didn't Cezanne also say: 'It is necessary to work with coarse means'? Here to do things with such simple means, but at the same time in a very delicate manner, it is necessary to feel deeply, the sensation must burst forth definitively and totally."

[Daniel Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptional artist who understood that beauty ignites our emotional imaginations. His art exists beyond the constraints of words and descriptions, this book however is both insightful and and revealing, explaining his creativity and the generosity that is so common in his work

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the greatest books on art. I'm always happy to re-read it, and I do, in bits, often. Each time I learn more.

[Elizabeth Pyjov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkable.

[Gloria Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insights into the thoughts and life of an inspired painter and person.

[Ricardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of interviews and writings by matisse. Good insight into his thinking.