BERGGRUEN, OLIVIER / HOLLEIN, MAX
Henri Matisse`s fascination with colour and his joie de vivre are inextricably bound up in his paper cut-outs. In the artist´s colourful late ceuvre, regarded as the peak of his output, colour , line and form are blended into a perfect synthesis, exuding a visionary power that seems more contemporary than ever before. Some of these famous works mirror blissful memories of a South Sea paradise - the flora and fauna, exotic life forms and mystic adventures reflecting an artistic dream come true.
While working on paper cut-outs for his book "jazz" in the early 1940´s , Matisse continued to refine his new technique. Ultimately he regarded the papiers decoupès as his primary artistic medium and worked on increasingly large compositions, satured with colour and movement. He worked on monumental drafts for murals, stained-glass windowss and ceramic tiles, surrounding him,,self with his works in his villa "La Réve" in Vence. Apart from sheets from Matisse`s famous work "jazz", this volume includes many of these large-format cut-outs that covered entire walls.
