Customer Reviews

With Apparent Ease...Henri Matisse: Paintings from 1935-1939

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The co-author of this extraordinary volume was a Russian orphan who became Henri Matisse's studio assistant in the early 1930's and ultimately, his model. Within a relatively brief time (1935-1947), Matisse produced tens of pictures using Delectorskaya as his principal model. This book is an incredible document of one artist's relationship with his source of inspiration. It is also contains great insight for the historian interested in technical procedures - the book describes Matisse's working methods with an intimacy only Delectorskaya could have known. With so much unpleasant criticism being written about the evils of the "male gaze," it comes as a relief to read a book which depicts the relationship between artist and model as one of mutual give-and-take, resulting in truly collaborative works of art. The reproductions are superb, and the precise chronological order (each image is dated exactly) allows the reader to reconstruct in his or her mind Matisse's daily activities. The physical beauty of the works is not overwhelmed with any explanatory text. That Matisse was able to produce so many extraordinary works of art despite his poor health and the darkening political climate of Europe in the late 1930's is a testament to both his great gifts and the power of art to bring joy and hope. Many of the works in this book have never been published elsewhere, so the book also consititutes a valuable document for historians, particularly since several of the paintings shown vanished during World War II. A beautiful and moving achievement.

The prior review is excellent and describes the general circumstances of a beautiful young Russian emigre coming to work for Matisse as a studio assistant during his advancing years. While many assumed that Delectorskaya became his mistress, Hilary Spurling's excellent Matisse biography suggests she was simply exactly the person he needed at that point to continue his work. She was young and strong when he needed physical assistance due to his poor health, proved an excellent model, and was well organize and resourceful (by personal experience as a Russian expatriate), skills which proved essential during the war years. Later she was the person whose business acumen allowed her to essentially run his studio, control appointments and deal with all of the hassles of daily life as he continued to declined physically, although this book stops at the end of the '30s.

Most amazing are her dated photos of many of the works that he did each day during the '30s, allowing us to see how each piece progressed, or was altered, day by day. Invaluable insight into his process as an artist. Many of the works featured are among his most well known and valuable works. The book is packed with photographs and drawings and each is very well reproduced. If every artist we cared about had someone like Lydia documenting their work day by day, we would be very grateful!