Though many critics at the time were unstinting in their cruel remarks about the supposed foolishness of an old man the work termed gouaches découpées ( gouache cut-outs ) in fact represented a milestone in modern art. Matisse had not only defied frailty to pursue his artistic impetus he had also created a whole new medium for exploring the age-old conflict between color and line.

This 96-page hardcover edition includes rich image reproductions from many of Matisses most celebrated cut-outsand a detailed biography for context of the artists life and work.