Matisse

World of Art

by Lawrence Gowing

Examines Matisse's impact on modern art as well as examining his career, techniques, aesthetics, and stages of artistic development.

Genres: Art

Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Sir Lawrence Gowing was an English artist, writer, curator, and teacher. Initially recognized as a portrait and landscape painter, he quickly rose to prominence as an art educator, writer, and, eventually, curator and museum trustee. As a student of art history he was largely self-taught.

Sir Lawrence was born Lawrence Burnett Gowing to Horace Gowing, a draper, and his wife, Luisa. Born in Stoke Newington and raised in London, his first painting of note, Mare Street, Hackney, made reference to his father's shop. After attending the Downs School at Colwall, Herefordshire and Leighton Park School, in 1938 he enrolled in the Euston Road School, where he studied with William Coldstream.

He was Principal of the Slade School of Fine Art at University College, London from 1975 to 1985.

Reviews

[Erik S · Rating 3 out of 5]

A highly educated and formalised account of the various artwork and styles produced by Matisse. While I definitely enjoyed the analytical approach to his work, I felt extremely alienated by the text due to my lack of professional art background. Either way, I’m definitely left far more appreciative of his work and more modern approaches.

I think Gowing encapsulates Matisse’s intrigue perfectly with his description of La Musique (1910): “The economy of the formulation, the poses and the spirit - the ecstasy that aches like misery…”. In my view, this description transcends the painting and showcases the almost meta nature of his style. He uproots the medium by transcribing context not through conventional structure, but by utilising shape and colour to bind the underlying percepts with grandiose sensibility. Further great examples would be La Danse (1909) and Icarus (1943) - other less lucrative paintings I highly enjoyed were La Conversation (1909), Le Thé (1919), La Musique (1939), and Le Rêve (1940).

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not an easy read for me and not a short read. Had to read many parts over and over and still some were beyond my knowledge or interest in ART. I did like his later works over his earlier but the black and white copies were of little interest. Glad I did read it but am not a bit more able to see much more in some art than the colors. if I like the colors, I like the art. well perhaps I do see a bit more sometimes.

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview of Matisse, stage by stage. Matisse had a long career and was an early star. Although this is an older book usually sold in museum gift shops, it gives a good overview of how Matisse moved from one technique to another, and who he worked with at each change, going from painting figures, to sculpture, to fauvism, to extreme color, to cutouts, to simplicity and back to color.

[Chris Bertagnole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty dry... look at his paintings instead.

[Wen · Rating 4 out of 5]

a series of critical essays on the major periods of matisse's ouevre.
would like less black and white images, as matisse was undoubtedly the master of color.
it would be wise to have a computer handy while reading.
this book requires several rereadings; it is dense but fascinating.