THE HARDCOVER ART BOOK WITH GOLD TONE FOIL EMBOSSED SPINE TITLES AND DUST JACKET IS PUBLISHED BY THAMES & HUDSON LTD LONDON, PRINTED IN ITALY IN 1996. IT FEATURES A MONOGRAPH SURVEY OF THE ARTWORKS OF HENRI MATISSE CREATED IN NICE, WITH ACCOMPANIED COMPELLING TEXT AUTHORED BY XAVIER GIRARD CURATOR OF THE MUSEE MATISSE IN NICE FRANCE.

HENRI MATISSE ( 1869 - 1954 ) THE FRENCH BORN ARTIST IS KNOWN FOR BOTH HIS SENSE OF COLOR AND HIS FLUID AESTHETIC. MATISSE IS COMMONLY REGARDED, ALONG WITH PICASSO AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ARTISTS WHO HELPED TO DEFINE AND INFLUENCE RADICAL CONTEMPORARY ART OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. HIS MASTERY OF THE EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE OF COLOR AND DRAWING WON HIM RECOGNITION AS A LEADING FIGURE IN WORLD MODERN ART.

MATISSE FAMOUSLY STATED THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL PLACES IN THE WORLD WHERE HE WAS MOST INSPIRED TO CREATE : NEW YORK, THE SOUTH PACIFIC, AND NICE FRANCE WHICH SO ENTICED HIM AT THE AGE OF 48, THAT APART FROM SEVERAL TRAVELS ABROAD HE WOULD STAY THERE FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. FOR MATISSE NICE WAS MORE A STATE OF MIND THAN A PLACE. THERE HE PRODUCED SOME OF HIS MOST BEAUTIFUL AND IMPORTANT WORKS OF ART. THE COLORS OF HIS RADIANT MASTERPIECES COME ALIVE HERE IN THE BOOK'S GORGEOUS IMAGES, WHILE XAVIER GIRARD'S DISCERNING TEXT EXPLORES THE DEPTH OF HIS ARTISTIC VISION AND THE INFLUENCES OF THE COAST OF SOUTHERN FRANCE. 

THE RARE OUT OF PRINT 1ST EDTION HARDCOVER ART BOOK MEASURES 6 3/8" W X 8 3/4" H X 3/8" D, WITH 80 PAGES. IT IS PRINTED ON PREMIUM PAPER STOCK FEATURING 56 ILLUSTRATIONS INCLUDING 48 IN COLOR.

IT IS IN EXCELLENT " LIKE NEW " CLEAN VINTAGE CONDITION CONSISTENT WITH AGE, LIGHT SIGNS OF HANDLING, AND LIGHT MINOR WEAR TO THE DUST JACKET. THE BOOK IS IN VERY CLEAN CONDITION. PLEASE SEE PHOTOS FOR CONDITION REFERENCE. IT IS NOW BEING OFFERED HERE FOR AN EXCELLENT PRICE.