Matisse and Picasso - Softcover

Bois, Yve-Alain

Softcover

ISBN 10: 208010618X ISBN 13: 9782080106186

Publisher: Flammarion, 2001

Synopsis

Fiercely competitive, Matisse and Picasso engaged in one of the most formidable artistic dialogues of this century. The intense beginning of the relationship between the two artists - from the time they met in 1906 until 1917, when Matisse left for Nice - has already been amply studied, but their continuous exchange during the second part of their careers has never been examined in detail. In Matisse and Picasso, Yve-Alain Bois stages the intertwined evolution of the two giants of modern art as if it were an ongoing game of chess between two masters. As Joachim Pissarro points out in the foreword of this volume, Matisse and Picasso's dense plot and rich narrative make this work read more like a suspense novel than a traditional art history treatise. Bois' thoroughly researched historical demonstration is supported by striking visual juxtapositions of works by the two artists brought together here for the first time, making this long-awaited study a major contribution to the history of twentieth-century art.

About this title

About the Author:

Yve-Alain Bois is the Joseph Pulitzer, Jr., Professor of Modern Art at Harvard University. He has written extensively on twentieth-century art, from Matisse and Picasso to post-war American art, particularly Minimal art. A collection of his essays, Painting as a Model, has been published by M.I.T. Press (1990). He coorganized the 1994-5 retrospective of Piet Mondrian in the Hague, Washington, and New York. In 1996, he curated the exhibition "L'informe, mode d'emploi" with Rosalind Krauss at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. The book accompanying this exhibition has recently been published in English under the title Formless: A User's Guide (Zone Books, 1997). Among other projects, he is currently preparing the catalogue raisonné of Barnett Newman.

From Library Journal:

Bois's (modern art, Harvard Univ.) well-argued thesis that Matisse, the sensual observer, and Picasso, the structuralist, had each other "in mind" when creating many paintings and sculptures redefines their complex relationship. With enormous appetite and "understanding," they worked similar ideas to dissimilar ends, challenging and influencing each other in great measure. By chronicling their mutual respect and referencing the historical documents of the time and what can now be deduced from the visual record, Bois has uncovered a wealth of evidence to support what was always implied. The many full-color illustrations encourage comparison and bolster the well-documented text. Ultimately, this is more than a book about Picasso and Matisse; through their examples, it is about the language of painting itself. Connoisseurs and students of modern art will derive much pleasure from this accomplishment, which accompanies a show currently at the Kimball Art Museum in Fort Worth, TX. Recommended for large public and academic libraries and any modern art collection.AEllen Bates, MLS, New York
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Flammarion
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 208010618X
• ISBN 13: 9782080106186
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272