Fauvism

Primitivism, Cubism, Abstraction: The Early Twentieth Century (Modern Art : Practices and Debates)

Matisse: From Color to Architecture

Few artists have explored genres and techniques with such curiosity and pleasure as Henri Matisse, whose fascination with the relationship between interior and exterior forms occupied him throughout his career. In the early 1950s, he chose to dedicate his last years to the Chapel of the Rosary in Vence and the nursery school in his hometown of Le Cateau-Cambrésis, both in the South of France. These sites represent a culmination of all Matisse's earlier visual and spatial explorations.

This book sheds new light on the development of Matisse's oeuvre, which spans some 60 years. Lavishly illustrated with almost 400 images, this deluxe volume includes beautiful reproductions of the artist's most famous paintings paired with lesser-known documents and photographs culled from the archives of his estate. The authors also gathered first-hand accounts related by numerous participants in the Vence and Le Cateau projects. The result is a fascinating, almost day-to-day look at Matisse's process as he created these works, and an intimate portrait of both the artist and the man. AUTHOR BIO: The late René Percheron was head of the museum of national antique art in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France, and a lecturer on the history of art and photography. Christian Brouder is a researcher at CNRS, the national organization for scientific research in Paris.

Fauvism (World of Art)

Fauvism was an extremely short-lived movement in modern painting, and an extremely important one as well. The name was attached to a group of paintings exhibited at the Paris Autumn Salon in 1905 by such artists as Henri Matisse and George Braque. But the group of painters that the name Fauvism referred to had moved on to other things within a year. Still, while Matisse may not have considered himself a Fauvist by 1906, he always acknowledged the movement's importance. "Fauvism isn't everything," he said, "but it is the foundation of everything." Author Sarah Whitfield does a fine job of providing context for the Fauvist movement and an understanding of its impact on modern art.

Georges Braque (Modern Masters Series)

Henri Matisse: Cut-Outs: 30 Postcards (Postcardbooks)

Matisse: Father and Son

Author John Russell knew Pierre Matisse (1900-1989) personally, and after his death was invited to work in the legendary art dealer's archives. Among the treasure-trove of material was 34 years' worth of correspondence between Matisse and his father, the legendary French painter Henri Matisse (1869-1954). Russell's stately narrative draws on those letters, as well as Pierre's correspondence with the artists he represented (most notably Joan Miró, Balthus, Alberto Giacometti, and Jean Dubuffet). It reveals a remarkable intimacy between father and son, despite the fact that Pierre made his career in New York, while the elder Matisse resided in France. The naturally reserved Matisses were probably more candid in letters than they would have been in person about family crises; in addition, the correspondence provides fascinating insights into Henri's creative struggles and his shrewd business sense. Pierre is respectfully portrayed as a dealer of the old school--making a lifetime commitment to the artists he admired, regarding their works "not so much as objects of commerce, but as children ready for adoption." Russell, a former art critic for the New York Times, writes in a rather formal style that emphasizes the Matisses' links (and his own) to a vanished time, the heroic age of modern art and of the men and women who made it their mission to introduce it to the world. --Wendy Smith

The relationship between the great Post-Impressionist artist Henri Matisse and his son, influential art dealer Pierre Matisse (1900-1989), is at the heart of this deftly revealing and moving biography, now available in paperback.

Pierre Matisse moved from France to New York in his 20s to establish a gallery, where he introduced such major European artists as Miró, Giacometti, Balthus, and Dubuffet to the United States. Renowned art critic John Russell has created a seamless narrative based on exclusive access to Pierre Matisse's vast unpublished archives, which hold 30 years of near-daily letters between father and son as well as a vast correspondence with the artists he represented. The result is an insider's look at the lives and creative efforts of some of the 20th century's most important artists.

Henri Matisse: Masterpieces 30 postcards

The Fauve Landscape

Kees Van Dongen: The Graphic Work

The Fauves: The Reign of Colour