{"product_id":"matisse-cut-outs","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 découpées\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","brand":"MediaPlace","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57390038450558,"sku":"NW9783836534277","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1379\/1261\/files\/9783836534277.jpg?v=1778634969","url":"https:\/\/mediaplace.com\/en-usa\/products\/matisse-cut-outs","provider":"MediaPlace","version":"1.0","type":"link"}