Henri Matisse – Jazz (1947)

Louisiana poster with the work, Jazz, plate VIII, Ikaros, (1947), published in connection with Louisiana's 2005 exhibition of Matisse's late works - A New Life. Although Henri Matisse is best known to many for his paintings, he worked with sculpture, graphic prints and, in the last four years of his life, with paper cutouts and collages - among other things for the epoch-making book work, Jazz , from 1947, from which the motif here is taken. Matisse is well known at Louisiana, which first exhibited the French master in 1985.

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The lithographed masterpiece, Jazz, contained, among other things, 20 illustrations opposite texts in which Matisse talks about his art. Matisse's paper cuts in the book are lively – like the title. Music and dance. And many inspirations from the circus environment, with clowns, trapeze artists and saber-teasers.

Matisse himself thought that the paper cut technique was clearly sculptural and even though they were surfaces, he thought of them in three dimensions. And the paper cutouts also have their own spatiality – there is a long way from the trapezes down to the floor of the arena:

When he lets Icarus fall from the sky, it happens against a backdrop of deep blue and twinkling stars – and the boy sinks gently through space while the red heart beats.

Matisse is one of the most influential artists of the 1900s and is today considered one of the defining artists in modern art.

About Louisiana | Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, established in 1958 by Knud W. Jensen, has housed exhibitions with some of the most renowned international artists, presenting an exhibition program that has resonated strongly with the public for over 6 decades.

The museum has earned a reputation as one of the world's most respected exhibition venues, celebrated for its stunning architecture and inviting atmosphere. At Louisiana, there is a deep-rooted belief that art should be accessible to all, offering experiences and visions that resonated with everyone. 

Forsyth is proud to represent a curated edit of Louisiana's renowned collection of exhibition posters and prints.