Colour Unbound: Henri Matisse 1941–1954

Published to accompany the major exhibition at the Grand Palais, Paris, Colour Unbound reveals the dazzlingly original work of Matisse’s final years.

1941 marked a turning point in the life and work of Henri Matisse. At the age of seventy-two, he underwent major surgery that left him physically fragile. Yet Matisse viewed this moment not as a setback but as an opportunity ‘to make the greatest progress of my life’. From that point until his death in 1954, he entered one of the most inspired and productive periods of his career. During those years, he created some of his greatest masterpieces – from the Chapel of the Rosary in Vence to his luminous cut-out gouaches, including Jazz. Vibrant and full of life, his late work stands in striking contrast to his declining physical state: dynamic, immediate and universally accessible.

Published to accompany the major exhibition at the Grand Palais, this catalogue brilliantly captures this late burst of creative vitality. Elegantly designed and beautifully printed, it brings together superb full-page reproductions of Matisse’s artworks alongside rarely seen photographs of his studio, taken by renowned photographers such as Adant, Capa, Carone, Cartier-Bresson, Sima and Maywald. This visual dialogue – enriched by expert commentary – offers a deeper understanding of Matisse’s final years and vividly conveys the synergy between art and life.

About the Author

Claudine Grammont, formerly director of the Musée Matisse, Nice, is head of the graphic arts department at the Centre Pompidou.