Matisse the Master: A Life of Henri Matisse. Hilary Spurling (v. 2) [Hardcover]

Hilary Spurling (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2006

In this astounding book (winner of the Whitbread Book of the Year 2005), Hilary Spurling's fascinating exploration of Matisse's world uncovers the secret life of the artist, whose paintings shocked and infuriated his contemporaries while paving the way for modern art. This beautifully presented second volume tells the story of Matisse's growing artistic maturity and the relationship between his life and art from 1909 to 1954, his glory years.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. The first volume of Spurling's magisterial biography, The Unknown Matisse, covered his evolution into a painter. This second volume opens with his adjusting to the status—albeit controversial—of master. At 40, Matisse found himself with both the freedom to paint and the burden of a reputation that drew enemies, disciples and skeptics into his working life. This shift from obscurity to notoriety had less impact on Matisse's work than on his personal relationships, especially his marriage to the single-minded Amélie, a bond that became saturated, for better and worse, with his achievements. Matisse's other relationships—with his daughter, Marguerite, his son, Pierre, his model and factotum Lydia Dylectorskaya and his patron Etta Cone among others—were likewise compounded of dedication and turmoil. The work, meanwhile, took its own course, whether mutating through a single epic piece or proliferating in new media, through two world wars and an absolute transformation in the tenets of and expectations for art. Spurling's chief source is a huge but largely untapped collection of correspondence, on which she draws very deftly to convey the mood and tone of various sojourns in Paris, Nice, Tangiers, Tahiti and elsewhere. In addition to 24 pages of color plates, the book is peppered with b&w photographs, portraits and sketches. Spurling's rich, flexible style is well attuned to the rigors and flights of Matisse's creative life. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Bookmarks Magazine

Spurling devoted two volumes and more than 1,000 pages to her biography of Henri Matisse, and it is clear that she fell in love with the great artist by the time she had finished. Critics labeled Matisse the Master and its predecessor a monumental achievement worthy of its subject, and they noted that the second volume could easily stand on its own. Extensively researched and lovingly written, Spurling brings both the artist and his work to life, even for those already familiar with Matisse. If any criticism can be made about Spurling’s book, it is that she approaches her subject too closely and is too quick to remove his life and work from their historical context.

Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 544 pages
• Publisher: Hamish Hamilton; 2nd Revised edition edition (July 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0241133394
• ISBN-13: 978-0241133392
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,142,071 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In living colour..., September 9, 2005

By 

FrKurt Messick "FrKurt Messick" (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Matisse the Master: A Life of Henri Matisse: The Conquest of Colour: 1909-1954 (Hardcover)

The life of Henri-Émile-Benoît Matisse is a remarkable one - author Hilary Sprung has spent years in careful and caring research to bring to life in pages this master of painting. Matisse is one of the giants of modern art; Picasso long considered him is only true rival. As the title of this volume indicates (volume 2 of a set, the first one published a few years ago dealing with the first 40 years of Matisse's life), he is noted for bold and original use of colour in his paintings. His influences include Van Gogh, Gaugain and Cézanne, so how could he not be so directed?

In a time when the world's attention is focused upon New Orleans, it is worthwhile to mention Matisse's own connection, with his work 'Jazz', a title inspired by the improvisational, free-and-easy style that Jazz musicians performed in response to the world around them. This was done during a period of severe illness, and Matisse used a collage method for this work because he was too weak to paint.

This volume follows Matisse from his maturity as an artist to the time of his death. The decline of the Fauvist movement did not hurt Matisse, whose productivity continued in Paris and the Riviera. Spurling includes his artistic life, his personal and family life, as well as his relationships with other artists and professionals in her sweeping narrative.

Spurling had generous access to Matisse's letters and private papers - he devoted nearly an hour a day at some points in his life to carrying on correspondence, and much of this has been preserved. Spurling also conducted countless hours of interviews with people, and was able to bring this large mass of material together in an entertaining and inspiring way. Matisse himself once commented that if the truth of his life were written down, it would astonish people, and this biography helps to validate that claim.

There are beautiful colour plates here, in addition to well over a hundred black-and-white images scattered throughout the text. If I had one wish for this two-volume set, it would be the inclusion of more colour - there is something ironic and a bit depressing to see Matisse in black and white!

A glorious book.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars See New Dimensions of Matisse's Work, December 27, 2005

By 

Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 110,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Matisse the Master: A Life of Henri Matisse: The Conquest of Colour: 1909-1954 (Hardcover)

Those of us who live today are spoiled in one sense that we don't realize: We can see Matisse's work on display and appreciate its evolution. That wasn't possible until just the last few decades. Until then, many of his most powerful works were locked up in the Soviet system and not on display or were in the hands of reclusive collectors.

That's an important point to remember when you wonder why Picasso has gotten so much more attention than Matisse, you could always see Picasso's work and Picasso courted attention.

Matisse, by comparison, found that it took all of his energies just to create art. There was very little time left over for his family and the rest of the world. He also wasn't inclined to seek out those who could explain and defend his work. As a result, he was widely misunderstood and underappreciated during his lifetime. This book corrects many of those problems.

Of particularly interest is the finding that although Matisse spent his life painting voluptuous nudes, he didn't indulge in having sexual relations with his models. Rather he used the sexual tension the models created in him to help inspire a better work. The models did become, ultimately, the undoing of his marriage . . . but not for the reasons you expect.

As fascinating as he is as an artist, he even more interesting as a creative person and head of a family. Matisse saw his family's role as being there to serve art. Although in a crisis, he would show up to encourage and aid family members and friends . . . usually he was off painting or sculpting by himself in sunnier climes. The rest of the time, they were doing administrative tasks, critiquing the works, staying out of his way and helping him enjoy a tranquil existence.

Anyone who wants a deeper appreciation of Matisse's work will learn from this volume. Although the book would have been better with more color plates, the pages are generously illustrated with black and white reproductions to give you a sense of his focus and development.

For artists, the book's many insights into the pros and cons of relationships with collectors and dealers will make the volume a "must have" item.

I didn't know the background of many of his best works, such as Jazz. It was a pleasure to better understand why he did them.

In particular, you will come away with a new appreciation for Matisse's use of color to capture emotion. Think of The Red Studio and the Conversation.

I seldom savor biographies as much as I did this one. I plan to go back now and read the first volume in the series, The Unknown Matisse.

Ms. Spurling's extensive use of Matisse's letters (and especially reproducing the funny little cartoons he liked to put in them) made the book a special joy.

Nice work, Ms. Spurling!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Triumph, October 24, 2005

By 

W.C.Painterman (Westminster,VT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Matisse the Master: A Life of Henri Matisse: The Conquest of Colour: 1909-1954 (Hardcover)

This is the best art history I have read. Spurling sponsors no theories, but reports the exhaustively researched facts with a real storyteller's grace. She brings the times and characters to life.More really is more, in her hands. Irresistible.