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The publication was Matisse’s idea; he approached the publisher Albert Skira with the concept of the illustrated anthology in 1941. Skira was a bookseller-turned-publisher who also collaborated with artists such as Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí. Skira and Matisse worked closely together on Florilège for seven years before the work was finally published in 1948. The Second World War, the Nazi occupation of Paris and Matisse’s ill health account for some of the delays with the project, however, the principal reason that the publication took seven years to complete was Matisse’s stubborn insistence on the project’s total perfection. Every detail of the publication was scrutinised by Matisse: from each subtle lithographic mark; to the exact tone of the ink; the paper choice which had to be changed at a last moment when it began yellowing; and to the lettering of the typography which also had to be changed when their original choice - a very rare, old Caslon typeface - had to be recast before they could complete the printing. Matisse refused to go to print with the publication of Florilège until he was entirely satisfied with every aspect of this special work.
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Originally, Matisse had envisioned Florilège with thirty illustrations, but eventually, as a result of his long years of obsessing over the details and the images that would make up this published ‘bouquet’, he executed an incredible 126 lithographs for the project. Skira described how every time he visited Matisse, he “saw the number of drawings increase. Already the walls of Matisse’s bedroom were completely covered with sketches”. Matisse clearly fell deeply in love with the work, and with the sonnets that inspired his drawings.
It’s likely that Matisse’s convalescence was part of the reason for his intensive, sustained engagement with each detail of his Florilège lithographs. In 1941 Matisse underwent emergency surgery, after which he developed sepsis and a pulmonary embolism; he narrowly escaped death. After these difficulties with his health, he used a wheelchair and was often bedridden. Painting and sculpture were more physically challenging for Matisse, so cut-outs and drawing became his primary mediums. Matisse threw himself into the illustration of Florilège, not only representing the imagery from Ronsard’s sonnets – embracing lovers, the female form and blossoming flowers – but also reflecting on his own iconography, artistic style and legacy. The portraits of women, dancing figures, couples embracing, cuckooing birds, flowers and leaves all fit undeniably into Matisse’s oeuvre, exuding a positive, love-soaked mood.
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In Florilège, we can see Matisse’s unparalleled command of the modern line – a confident mark that is simple yet supple, understated and yet full of emotion. Plate 8, the opening image of Florilège, is a portrait of Ronsard who is portrayed with a Roman nose and elongated, Mannerist neck as well as a densely curled beard, moustache and braided laurel crown, a typical and symbolic accessory of a bard; a flattering homage to the author of the poetry that Matisse so admired.
Plate 170 shows us a very different type of portrait and more typical of the collection as a whole: suggestive, sensual, feminine and youthful. Matisse is able, throughout Florilège, to depict in simple lines deep wells of character within each of his figures. In his images of couples embracing (such as Plate 117 or Plate 64), instead of showing the character of an individual, Matisse exhibits the characteristics and movements of a relationship in a single beautiful moment.
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From 1900 until he passed away in 1954, Matisse created hundreds of etchings, drypoints, lithographs, woodcuts, linocuts and monotypes. For him, printmaking was an extension of his drawing process and a very important art form. Within this continuous engagement with printmaking, Florilège holds a special place in Matisse’s oeuvre. The lithographs in this exhibition are the result of Matisse’s seven years of sustained engagement with the text, the images, and the artist’s book as a whole. They show his commitment to the project and to his modern aesthetic. The Florilège des Amours de Ronsard collection of lithographs is about sensual love, sensuous lines and the sustaining and healing power of art.
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Portraits
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Henri MatissePlate 145. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 187. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 31. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 134. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£2,250.00
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Henri MatissePlate 150. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 129. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 166. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£1,950.00
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Henri MatissePlate 159. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 168. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 170. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 178. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 24. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 35. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£2,950.00
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Henri MatissePlate 39. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 163. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£2,750.00
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Henri MatissePlate 86. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 143. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 180. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£2,750.00
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Henri MatissePlate 53. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£2,950.00
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Henri MatissePlate 71. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£3,250.00
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Henri MatissePlate 79. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£2,950.00
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Henri MatissePlate 131. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 90. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 99. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£2,950.00
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Henri MatissePlate 8. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 60. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatisseCover Page. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£1,450.00
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Henri MatissePlate 82. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 148. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 136. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 69. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 154. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 18. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 20. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948£1,450.00
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Henri MatissePlate 97. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 108. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£650.00
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Figures
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Henri MatissePlate 153. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948£1,750.00
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Henri MatissePlate 117. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 152. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948£2,250.00
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Henri MatissePlate 113. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948£2,750.00
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Henri MatissePlate 155. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948£2,250.00
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Henri MatissePlate 43. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 185. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948£950.00
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Henri MatissePlate 22. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 161. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948£1,950.00
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Henri MatissePlate 28. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 64. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 51. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948£2,250.00
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Henri MatissePlate 62. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948£1,450.00
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Henri MatissePlate 47. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 93. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948£2,250.00
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Henri MatissePlate 67. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 74. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948£2,250.00
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Henri MatissePlate 110. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948£1,950.00
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Henri MatissePlate 76. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948£2,250.00
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Henri MatissePlate 56. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 123. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 103. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948£2,950.00
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Henri MatissePlate 138. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948£2,250.00
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Henri MatissePlate 121 Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 63. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 84. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Flora and Fauna
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Henri MatissePlate 141. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£2,750.00
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Henri MatissePlate 127. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 140. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 102. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£450.00
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Henri MatissePlate 119. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 107. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£450.00
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Henri MatissePlate 111. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£450.00
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Henri MatissePlate 125. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 135. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 137. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£550.00
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Henri MatissePlate 144. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£550.00
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Henri MatissePlate 112. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 151. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 158. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 171. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 172. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 173. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£2,750.00
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Henri MatissePlate 176. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£950.00
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Henri MatissePlate 183. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£2,750.00
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Henri MatissePlate 179. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 181. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£550.00
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Henri MatissePlate 182. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 25. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 58. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 26. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£450.00
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Henri MatissePlate 29. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 30. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 57. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 52. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 87. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 88. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£650.00
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Henri MatissePlate 91. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 98. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 12. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£1,750.00
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Henri MatissePlate 85. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 75. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 70. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 77. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 169. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 167. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948Sold
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Henri MatissePlate 92. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard , 1948£450.00
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Henri MatisseBack Cover. Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948Sold
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Framing
Our prices include framing in a brown wooden finish, with low reflective glass, as shown. Please contact us to discuss any further framing requirements or delivery queries on 0207 407 6561.
Henri Matisse | Florilège des Amours de Ronsard
Past viewing_room