{"product_id":"matisse-cut-outs-9783836534277","title":"Matisse. Cut-Outs","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHenri Matisse\u003c\/strong\u003e (1869-1954) was a fighting spirit. Despite a cancer diagnosis in 1941, increasing frailty, and the confines of a wheelchair, the indomitable Frenchman \u003cstrong\u003enever stopped in his quest to make art\u003c\/strong\u003e. With what he called \u003cem\u003eune seconde vie\u003c\/em\u003e, a second life, he embarked on a remarkable collage period, cutting and pasting pieces of colored paper into \u003cem\u003egouaches d?coup?es\u003c\/em\u003e of\u003cstrong\u003e birds, plants, flowers, and the female form\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Emphasizing color and contrast, the cut-out technique generated both \u003cstrong\u003estriking lines and vivid juxtapositions\u003c\/strong\u003e. In works such as\u003cem\u003e Icarus\u003c\/em\u003e (1943), \u003cem\u003eThe Blue Nude\u003c\/em\u003e (1952), \u003cem\u003eThe Snail\u003c\/em\u003e (1953), and\u003cem\u003e The Sheaf \u003c\/em\u003e(1953), \u003cstrong\u003eclean forms and elemental structures \u003c\/strong\u003epower a compositional force that belies the work's decorative appeal, at once tightly organized and \u003cstrong\u003einfectious with \u003cem\u003ejoie de vivre\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e. As his work progressed, Matisse's excitement with his results fueled ever-larger pieces, advancing from small works to\u003cstrong\u003e vast wall-sized murals\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e As his final years approached, Matisse reveled in the simplicity and brilliance of these pieces, avowing, \"Only what I created after the illness constitutes my real self: free, liberated...\" In this essential introductory book, we revisit this joyful final chapter of Matisse's long and prodigious career, examining how the \u003cstrong\u003ecut-outs encapsulated the artist's many years exploring the possibilities of composition, form, and color\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNéret, Gilles:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Gilles Néret (1933-2005) was an art historian, journalist, writer, and museum correspondent. He organized several art retrospectives in Japan and founded the SEIBU Museum and the Wildenstein Gallery in Tokyo. He directed art reviews such as L'OEil and Connaissance des Arts and received the Élie Faure Prize in 1981 for his publications. His TASCHEN titles include Salvador Dalí The Paintings, Matisse, and Erotica Universalis.","brand":"Taschen","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50627779494162,"sku":"9783836534277","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_0bc60061-3dd6-4530-b48e-5d660764e340.jpg?v=1732719745","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/matisse-cut-outs-9783836534277","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}