Matisse the Master: A Life of Henri Matisse: The Conquest of Colour: 1909-1954

The second volume of Hilary Spurling’s excellent biography of Matisse covers the years 1909 to 1954, a period which covers two world wars and the latter half of the artist’s life. Though relatively well-known at the beginning of the book, Matisse still struggles with critical ridicule and periodic bouts of depression. Spurling’s treatment of the tensions in his life and his marriage to Amélie is subtle and meticulous, as are her descriptions of the development of his work and its position in relation to the work of his contemporaries. In her preface, she states her intention to disprove two standard assumptions about Matisse: the belief that he was an exploitative womanizer who routinely slept with his models, and the suspicion show more that he in some way collaborated with the Nazis during World War II. On the whole, she succeeds—the latter charge seems ridiculous anyway, given that the artist was elderly and unwell during the Vichy regime, and that his wife and daughter were both arrested by the Nazis. Spurling’s portrayal of Matisse’s relationship with his daughter Marguerite, who was tortured by the Gestapo and narrowly escaped being sent to a concentration camp, is particularly sensitive. An intelligent, well-written and impressively researched biography. show less

A fascinating biography of a man who was not only a great artist, but also a man who gave of himself selflessly. This book isn't stuffy; it paints an interesting and very readable portrait. Matisse is human, but constantly pushed himself to develop as an artist. It's giving me a new appreciation for his work. He suffered due to the fact that he was constantly conpared to Picasso and deemed to be a minor player. At the end, a visitor was moved to see "'a great artist still so absorbed in trying to create when death was at his doorstep...when there was no longer time.'"

Well worth reading to learn about Matisse the artist and Matisse the person, and those who surrounded, supported, and were part of his life.

a very nice bio about a very passionate painter