The livre d��artiste, or ��artist��s book,�� is among the most prized in rare book collections. Henri Matisse (1869�C1954) was one of the greatest artists to work in this genre, and he created his most important during a period of intense personal and physical suffering. Brimming with powerful themes and imagery, these works are crucial to understanding Matisse��s oeuvre.

With deftness and sensitivity, Louise Rogers Lalaurie reintroduces us to Matisse by considering how in each volume, Matisse constructed an intriguing dialogue between word and image. Examining this page-by-page interplay, translating key sequences, and discussing the books�� distinct themes and production histories, Lalaurie offers the thoughtful analysis these works deserve. Together Matisse��s artist books reveal his deep engagement with questions of beauty and truth; his faith; his perspectives on aging, loss, and inspiration; and his relationship to his critics, the French art establishment, and the women in his life. In addition, Lalaurie illuminates Matisse��s often misunderstood political affinities��though Matisse was vilified in his time for choosing to live in the collaborationist Vichy zone, his wartime books reveal a body of work that stands as a deeply personal statement of resistance.


Louise Rogers Lalaurie
University Chicago Press
Hardcover, 320 pages
12 1/2 x 10 3/8
9780226750545