Henri Matisse’s ''Jazz'' is a limited-edition
art book containing prints of colorful cut-
paper collages, accompanied by the artist's written thoughts. It was first issued on September 30, 1947, by art publisher
Tériade. The portfolio, characterized by vibrant colors, poetic texts, and circus and theater themes, marks Matisse's transition to a new form of medium.
Original creation
Diagnosed with
abdominal cancer in 1941, Matisse underwent surgery that left him chair- and bedbound. Limited in mobility, he could no longer paint or sculpt. Instead, he cut forms from colored paper that he arranged as
collage
Collage (, from the french: coller, "to glue" or "to stick together";) is a technique of art creation, primarily used in the visual arts, but in music too, by which art results from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole. ...
s, and
decoupage which became known as the “cut-outs”.
That same year, at the age of 74, Matisse began ''Jazz''. His assistants helped prepare the collages for printing, using a stencil process known as ''
pochoir'' in French. He worked on the series for two years, utilizing this new method that linked drawing and color—two important elements in Matisse's work.
The designs were initially intended as covers for ''
Verve
Verve may refer to:
Music
* The Verve, an English rock band
* ''The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve
* ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album)
* Verve Records, an American jazz record label
Businesses
* Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee ho ...
'', a French art magazine published by
Tériade. In 1947, Tériade issued the compositions in an artist's portfolio. The book included 20 color prints, each about , as well as Matisse's handwritten notes expressing his thoughts throughout the process. Tériade gave it the title ''Jazz'', which Matisse liked because it suggested a connection between art and
musical improvisation
Musical improvisation (also known as musical extemporization) is the creative activity of immediate ("in the moment") musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous ...
. Despite the low number of books printed, ''Jazz'' was well received.
The
circus, the title originally suggested for the book, provided inspiration for the majority of the motifs concerning performing artists and
balancing acts
''Balancing Acts'' is a 2005 documentary film by Donna Schatz that chronicles the lives of Chinese acrobat Man-Fong Tong and his wife Magda Schweitzer, a Jewish acrobat from Budapest, Hungary. The two met in Europe on the eve of World War II. They ...
. “These images, with their lively and violent tones, derive from crystallizations of memories of circuses, folktales, and voyages,” Matisse explains in the accompanying text. The figure of the circus artist, usually depicted alone, is often seen as a metaphor for the artist himself.
The first prints illustrating the circus do not seem to have an immediate connection to the succeeding works. However, these compositions are viewed as metaphors of life. The overall themes in ''Jazz'' derive from biographical elements, such as Matisse's recollection of his travels to
Tahiti in the three "Lagoon" sheets (XVII–XIX), as well as broader aspects including love (V, VI), death (X), and fate (XVI).
List of prints
The titles of the individual sheets, together with supplementary explanations by his assistant
Lydia Delectorskaya
Lydia Nikolaevna Délectorskaya (23 June 1910 Tomsk - 16 March 1998 Paris) was a Russian refugee and model best known for her collaboration with Henri Matisse from 1932 onwards.
Early life
Born in the Siberian city of Tomsk, the only daughter of ...
, in English translation, are:
See also
*
''Composition for "Jazz"'' (Albert Gleizes)
References and sources
;References
;Sources
*''Jazz'' by Henri Matisse, introduction by
Riva Castleman
Riva Castleman (August 15, 1930 – September 4, 2014) was an American art historian, art curator, and author who is credited with promoting the mediums of printmaking and illustrated books as serious forms of fine art. From 1976–95 she was D ...
, George Braziller 1983
*''Jazz'' by Henri Matisse, introduction by Dominique Szymusiak, Editions Anthese 200
External links
Greg Kucera essay on ''Jazz'' by Henri Matisse''Jazz'' title page''Sword Swallower''''Icarus''''The Cowboy''
by Henri Matisse
{{Artists' books
Artists' books
Henri Matisse
1947 books
Prestel Publishing books