Matisse reviewed

Abstract

Don't be misled by the title. This is not a broad treatment of Matisse's œuvre but a detailed study of its reception from 1905 to 1913. That does not make it any less important: it is the fullest account yet of the critical reaction to some landmark paintings. But it is more. Wright not only sifts the criticism but goes beyond it to interpret the art directly. And there's the rub, and the reward. The book, which is based on the author's dissertation, doesn't read like one. Despite all the extracts and citations, it flows well thanks to a lucid style and a structure simple enough to ground its interwoven themes. Six chapters cover six major exhibitions: the 1905 Salon des Indépendants (which included Luxe, Calme et Volupté); the 1905 Salon d'Automne, or ‘Fauve Salon’; the 1906 Salon des Indépendants (Le Bonheur de Vivre); the 1907 Salon des Indépendants (Nu bleu); the 1910 Salon d'Automne (Music and Dance); and the 1913 exhibition at the Bernheim-Jeune gallery (the Moroccan paintings).