Graphic Passion: Matisse and the Book Arts
In English. Hardcover, 264 pages, 23 x 28 cm. Pennsylvania State University Press, 2015
The great painter Henri Matisse was also a great book illustrator. A pioneer member of the Fauves, a supreme colorist, a remarkable draughtsman and a creative genius: this is the Matisse known and admired by all those who have an interest, even if temporary, in modern art.
But few know Matisse as an artist who drew and illustrated his own books. From 1912 until his death in 1954, he engaged in nearly fifty illustration projects, many of which are among the finest artists' books of the twentieth century. He participated directly in the layout of the pages, typography, lettering, ornaments, cover design and even in the choice of text. More than anyone else of his category and stature, he knew the principles of visual communication and understood the potential of letterpress printing.
Graphic Passion tells the story of the publication of almost fifty books illustrated by Matisse, including masterpieces such as Poésies, Lettres portugaises and Jazz, by Mallarmé. It is the first comprehensive and in-depth analysis of his book-producing endeavors and the first systematic research on this topic in English. Based on unpublished correspondence and business documents, it contains new information about his illustration methods, typographical precepts, literary sensibilities, and firm opinions about the artist's role in the publication process.
