Fresno Famous

Matisse’s paintings hang in some of the greatest museums in the world. This exhibition offers a look at another aspect of this famous artist’s work. Interestingly enough, his painstakingly created book illustrations were among the pieces of which he was most proud.

Most art lovers are acquainted with the boldly colored paintings of Henri Matisse, one of the most important artists of the twentieth century. Fewer are aware of his art books, though Matisse himself declared: “I do not distinguish between the construction of a book and that of a painting.”

The Art Books of Henri Matisse presents four of these rare and engaging works, selected from the Bank of America Collection. The artist’s techniques are as diverse as the books’ subjects. In Poésies de Stéphane Mallarmé, Matisse uses elegant, simple lines to illustrate the complex poems of the French Symbolist and, in doing so, revolutionizes the concept of the illustrated book. In Pasiphaé, Chant de Minos (Les Crétois) Matisse retells the story of the wife of King Minos and the Minoan bull through striking linoleum engravings.

To transcribe and illustrate his favorite works by the Renaissance poet Charles d’Orléans, Matisse draws freehand. Jazz, with its boldly colored stencils and captivating images from the circus and dance hall, signals a new chapter in Matisse’s life, in which he created masterpieces from paper cutouts.

Special thanks to Bank of America for their sponsorship of this exhibition.

Matisse’s paintings hang in some of the greatest museums in the world. This exhibition offers a look at another aspect of this famous artist’s work. Interestingly enough, his painstakingly created book illustrations were among the pieces of which he was most proud.

Fresno Metropolitan Museum
1555 Van Ness Ave., Fresno, CA 93721
(559) 441-1444
Visit http://fresnomet.org/the-art-books-of-henri-matisse.html for more info on the exhibition and visit http://fresnomet.org/hours-and-information.html for our updated hours and admission.