Late in his life, confined to a chair or bed, Matisse transformed a simple technique into a medium for the creation of a major art. "I have attained a form filtered to its essentials." Cutting dynamic shapes from painted paper, Matisse created his images. While producing pieces for Jazz, the artist used a large brush to write notes to himself on construction paper. The simple visual appearance of the words pleased Matisse, and he suggested using his reflective handwritten thoughts in juxtaposition with the images. The original first edition of Jazz was an artist's book, printed in a limited quantity. This selection from the original is an exquisite suite of colour plates and text that, like the music it was named for, was invented in a spirit of improvisation and spontaneity. These magnificent cut-outs of pure colour celebrate the radiance and emotional intensity of the artist's oeuvre. AUTHOR: Henri Matisse (1869-1954) was a painter, draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor who helped to define the revolutionary developments in the visual arts in the opening decades of the twentieth century. Riva Castleman was the Director of Prints and Illustrated Books at the MoMA for nearly twenty years, as well as Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs. SELLING POINTS: . New, high quality compact version of the original Teriade first edition . With an introduction by Riva Castleman, former Director of Prints and Illustrated Books at MoMA, for almost 20 years 20 colour illustrations