Busacca Gallery

Le Destin (The Destiny), Lagoon, 1944 From Jazz Henri Matisse (French, 1869–1954) Medium: Original pochoir (stencil) print after a paper cut-out Published: 1947 Plate: XVIII, Lagoon, from the illustrated book Jazz Edition: Jazz was produced in an edition of 250 books, with pages originally folded in half Signature: Unsigned, as issued Size: Approximately 23 1/2 x 15 1/3 inches (measured edge to edge) Henri Matisse’s illustrated book Jazz (1947) is among the most celebrated graphic works of the 20th century and remains one of his most beloved achievements. This project marked Matisse’s first major exploration of the cut-out technique, a moment in which realism and abstraction—long held in tension throughout his career—were finally reconciled. “It is not a beginning, it is an endpoint,” Matisse remarked, reflecting his belief that he had resolved the challenges of form and space, outline and color. Jazz comprises 20 vibrant pochoir color plates accompanied by more than 70 pages of Matisse’s expressive, calligraphic text. The project was pivotal in his transition away from oil painting toward the cut-out collages that defined the final decade of his life. To create these works, Matisse directed assistants to paint large sheets of paper with gouache, from which he then cut and arranged shapes directly on the walls of his studio. The title Jazz evokes a musical structure of rhythm, repetition, and improvisation—an idea echoed in the handwritten text, which is punctuated by bursts of color in the plates. Matisse’s subjects draw from the circus, mythology, and memories of his travels, often presenting isolated figures or paired forms that suggest a dialogue between artist and model. Despite their vivid colors and folkloric imagery, many of the plates carry an underlying gravity, with several standing among Matisse’s most powerful and ominous images.

During the 1930s, Henri Matisse began creating collages as studies for paintings and sculptures, arranging cut paper into decorative configurations. After a serious operation in 1941 left him bedridden during a prolonged convalescence, he increasingly explored the possibilities of what he famously called “painting with scissors”—an experiment that would continue through the final decade of his life. A renowned master colorist and an exceptionally skilled draftsman, Matisse possessed an unparalleled command of arabesque line. In the cut-outs, he successfully unified these two essential aspects of his artistic practice. Approximate size: 23 1/2 x 15 inches Matisse once remarked that Jazz is about “rhythm and meaning,” and the title itself suggests a parallel between the creation of visual art and musical improvisation. Jazz stands as one of the most imaginative works of this period and is the only book both written and illustrated entirely by the artist. The portfolio comprises twenty vivid pochoir prints—pochoir being the French term for “stencil”—derived from shapes cut from gouache-painted sheets of paper. These images are accompanied by poetic, handwritten notes that convey Matisse’s personal reflections and ideas. The subjects range from childhood memories and travel experiences to scenes inspired by the circus and music halls—motifs unique to Jazz and not found elsewhere in Matisse’s oeuvre. At the same time, many recurring elements, such as figures in motion and stylized leaf forms, anticipate and reappear in his later works.

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz_(Henri_Matisse)

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.

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 collages, 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, 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 16 by 26 inches (41 by 66 cm), 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. 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. “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).