Matisse. Cut-outs. 40th Ed.

In his later years, Matisse developed a revolutionary technique called "carving into color" by creating bold paper cut-outs. Despite initial criticism, these gouaches decoupées (gouache cut-outs) became a significant medium in modern art, redefining the conflict between color and line. This edition of the first volume of our award-winning XXL book provides a historical context, including photos of Matisse and rare images by Henri Cartier-Bresson and F. W. Murnau. The cut-outs, with their sculptural quality and early minimalist abstraction, influenced generations of artists and remain bold and innovative today.

Format: Hardback
Length: 412 pages
Publication date: 18 August 2022
Publisher: Taschen GmbH

Towards the conclusion of his illustrious career as a painter, sculptor, and lithographer, an elderly and frail Matisse found it increasingly difficult to stand and wield a paintbrush for extended periods. As he approached his 80th year, he embarked on a remarkable artistic journey in which he developed a technique known as "carving into color." This late phase of his life saw the creation of vibrant and bold paper cut-outs, which defied the dismissive critiques of some contemporary critics who deemed them the foolishness of a senile old man. However, these gouaches decoupées, or gouache cut-outs, as they are commonly known, represented a groundbreaking revolution in modern art, heralding the emergence of a entirely new medium that reimagined the age-old conflict between color and line.

This edition of the first volume of our original award-winning XXL book offers a comprehensive historical backdrop to Matisse's cut-outs, tracing their origins back to his 1930 trip to Tahiti and extending through his final years in Nice. It features numerous photographs of Matisse, along with rare images by Henri Cartier-Bresson and the filmmaker F. W. Murnau, accompanied by texts by Matisse, publisher E. Tériade, poets Louis Aragon, Henri Michaux, and Pierre Reverdy, as well as Matisse's son-in-law Georges Duthuit.

In their deceptive simplicity, the cut-outs achieved a remarkable sculptural quality and an early manifestation of minimalist abstraction, which would have a profound impact on generations of artists to follow. Exuberant, multi-hued, and often grand in scale, these works stand as true pillars of 20th-century art, retaining their boldness and innovation even as we encounter them today. They continue to inspire and captivate audiences with their vibrant colors and intricate designs, reminding us of the enduring legacy of Matisse's artistic brilliance.

Weight: 1072g
Dimension: 164 x 226 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783836589192