MATISSE, Henri

Henri Matisse lithograph ‘Îles’ for ‘Poésies Antillaises’

Description

Henri Matisse lithograph for ‘Poésies Antillaises’ printed in brown ink on hand-made d’arches paper, this is one of 200 copies. This lithograph was printed as part of book, therefore there is a line of text, the title, on the verso of the sheet, this cannot be seen from the front of the image. The title translates as ‘Island’. There is some light off-setting on the image which i have tried to photograph, please examine carefully, otherwise the sheet is in excellent condition.

Sheet size 383cm x 292mm (13 x 8.5 inches)

Item details

Reference: Duthhuit: Catalogue Raisonne des Ouvrages illustrés, 37. A Deluxe edition of 50 copies with an extra suite of prints printed on Japon; 200 printed on arches.

The French text translated from the book:

Henri Matisse executed the twenty eight original lithographs in 1954, composed the initials, the decoration and ordered the layout for the choice of poems by John-Antoine Nau.

Completed printing in April 1972 on arches vellum with a watermark of a profile drawn by the artist. The lithographs and ornaments were printed by Mourlot Frere, the typography, in original Baskerville body 24, by Fequet and Baudier.

In 1945, following the success of the series of lithographs that he had drawn, inspired by Reverdy’s poetry under the title ‘Visages’, Matisse began working with several exotic models for the illustrations of an ambitious suite of lithographs that he hoped to do in homage to his friend, the poet John-Antoine Nau.

Nau’s poetry took its themes from voyages in the Antilles and in particular to Martinique where the facial sculpture of women from the Islands, with their exoticism and richness, was a great inspiration. Matisse first met him with Signac many years before in 1905, and had great admiration for his poetry.

Matisse completed and proofed all the stones for the Poésies Antillaises series in 1954 . The actual edition of the album was never pulled at that time, probably due to his death which delayed the publication greatly. The work was finally published 18 years later by Mourlot, who scrupulously followed both Matisse’s maquettes and final corrected proofs.