Henri Matisse: The Essence of Line

Fascinating exhibition at Marlborough Fine Art looking at Matisse’s use of lithographs and etchings.

This exhibition was really well presented with good descriptive boards and nice chronology of Matisse’s life. I felt I was seeing beautiful works but also learning something. They also used some wonderful quotes from Matisse one of which I have to share as to me it describers portraiture so well “ I ended up discovering that the likeness comes from the contrast which exists between then face of the model and other faces, in a word from its particular asymmetry. Each figure has its own rhythm and it is this rhythm which created the likeness.”

My favourite pictures were a series of the same girl in a floral dress with a stand up collar. He drew her from different angles and with different levels of finish to the work. In some he concentrates on the detail of the pattern on her dress in other he just hints at it.

It was also good to see a rare set of plates from “Jazz” a book of prints of his cut and paste designs. There were nine on display bit others could be viewed on request.

Review
Telegraph
Evening Standard

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