At the beginning of the 20th century, a group of artists around Henri Matisse and André Derain were carrying out revolutionary colour experiments. The art critic Louis Vauxcelles gave them their name in 1905: the "Fauves". Translated into English, this means something like "beasts" or "wild animals". This catalogue is being published for the first survey exhibition on the Fauves staged in Switzerland for decades. It presents the expressive painting style and unusual colour combinations employed by Matisse, Derain and their companions in the years 1904 to 1908, situating them in the aesthetic and socio-political debates of that time. The male connotation of the term Fauves already suggests the exclusion of women artists on a conceptual level. The exhibition and catalogue challenge this traditional view and draw attention to female protagonists on the Paris art scene. Richly illustrated and supplemented by new art-historical research contributions, the publication offers an insight into the diversity of the colourful painting by the "beasts". Fauvism – the first avantgarde movement of the 20th century Brilliant colour experiments in a break with academic conventions Exhibition: 02.09.2023–21.01.2024, Kunstmuseum Basel, New Building

Henri Matisse (1869-1954) is adored worldwide as a revolutionary painter and loved for his collages, or papiers découpés, the icons of his late work. His paintings and drawings for a long time overshadowed his achievements as a sculptor. Yet his Back Series, four bas-reliefs showing a nude, created between 1908 and 1930, are widely recognised as a milestone in modern sculpture. Starting out from the naturalistic depiction, Matisse gradually transformed it to reach a radically abstracted figure. Each of the four original plaster casts represents a decisive moment of this artistic process. This transformative process has parallels in Matisse's painting and drawing. Published in conjunction with a major exhibition at Kunsthaus Zürich marking the artist's 150th anniversary, this is the first book to explore the relation between metamorphosis and feedback in both main fields of the artist's work. Documents of his diverse sources of inspiration for his sculptures - photographs of nudes, examples from African and ancient art - as well as images featuring Matisse at work as sculptor, round out this volume. It is a welcome addition to any art library, highlighting the llesser known side of this modern master. Text in French.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a group of artists around Henri Matisse and André Derain were carrying out revolutionary colour experiments. The art critic Louis Vauxcelles gave them their name in 1905: the "Fauves". Translated into English, this means something like "beasts" or "wild animals". This catalogue is being published for the first survey exhibition on the Fauves staged in Switzerland for decades. It presents the expressive painting style and unusual colour combinations employed by Matisse, Derain and their companions in the years 1904 to 1908, situating them in the aesthetic and socio-political debates of that time. The male connotation of the term Fauves already suggests the exclusion of women artists on a conceptual level. The exhibition and catalogue challenge this traditional view and draw attention to female protagonists on the Paris art scene. Richly illustrated and supplemented by new art-historical research contributions, the publication offers an insight into the diversity of the colourful painting by the "beasts". Fauvism – the first avantgarde movement of the 20th century Brilliant colour experiments in a break with academic conventions Exhibition: 02.09.2023–21.01.2024, Kunstmuseum Basel, New Building

The first in-depth examination of Matisse's work in the 1930s, a key decade of creative innovation and renewal for this celebrated artist In 1930, as Henri Matisse (1869-1954) embarked on The Dance, a monumental mural commissioned by the American collector Albert C. Barnes, he began experimenting in ways that would permanently change the nature of his work. The use of pre-painted cut papers to lay out his compositions led to a new style of flat tones and bold shapes. He also increasingly used serial imagery to make visible his creative process, aiming to capture the flux of his own perceptions and emotions in the work of art. This volume highlights and explains pivotal transformations in Matisse's work in the 1930s across a range of media, including mural and easel painting, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, and the illustrated book. The transatlantic contributors also look at the relationship between Matisse and the Parisian art journal Cahiers d'art, which played an outsized role in publicizing Matisse's work during this period, and consider his exhibitions, his ongoing involvement with decorative painting, his studio as a creative laboratory, and the role of his model and muse Lydia Delectorskaya in his studio practice. Published in association with the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Musees d'Orsay et de l'Orangerie Exhibition Schedule: Philadelphia Museum of Art (October 20, 2022-January 29, 2023) Musee de l'Orangerie, Paris (February 28-May 29, 2023) Musee Matisse, Nice (June 23-September 24, 2023)

Henri Matisse (1869-1954) is adored worldwide as a revolutionary painter and loved for his collages, or papiers découpés, the icons of his late work. His paintings and drawings for a long time overshadowed his achievements as a sculptor. Yet his Back Series, four bas-reliefs showing a nude, created between 1908 and 1930, are widely recognised as a milestone in modern sculpture. Starting out from the naturalistic depiction, Matisse gradually transformed it to reach a radically abstracted figure. Each of the four original plaster casts represents a decisive moment of this artistic process. This transformative process has parallels in Matisse's painting and drawing. Published in conjunction with a major exhibition at Kunsthaus Zürich marking the artist's 150th anniversary, this is the first book to explore the relation between metamorphosis and feedback in both main fields of the artist's work. Documents of his diverse sources of inspiration for his sculptures - photographs of nudes, examples from African and ancient art - as well as images featuring Matisse at work as sculptor, round out this volume. It is a welcome addition to any art library, highlighting the lesser known side of this modern master.