Matisse - Nina Hollein

Henri Matisse created some of his most exquisite works by cutting shapes out of paper. Entertaining and inventive, his "drawings with scissors" are also a superb introduction to the most basic artistic concepts: colour, line and form. Taking a look at Matisse's cut-outs, arguably the highlight of his magnificent career, this manual follows the artist as he goes in search of pure forms of expression. Illustrated with reproductions of Matisse's most famous works, the volume relates an imaginary tale about how the colours and shapes created by Matisse come to life, carrying the reader off into the artist's fantasy realm. It reflects Matisse's spontaneity, his love of bold colours, and his seemingly effortless ability to capture movement on paper, which makes him an artist of great appeal to children. This exploration of Matisse's cut-outs invites children of all ages to draw with scissors just like the artist, using the sheets of paper printed in Matisse-inspired colours included in the book.