The Missing Matisse: A Memoir

by Pierre Henri Matisse

Nazi planes were bombing Paris the day a lifelong, more personal war began for Pierre. It was the day he lost his identity.

Born into a famous family, Pierre Matisse grew up immersed in the art world of Paris and the French Riviera, spending time with some of the most famous artists of the twentieth century. The man he knew as his grandfather, legendary artist Henri Matisse, encouraged Pierre from a young age, creating a strong desire in him to become a great artist in his own right.

Being a Matisse was an important part of young Pierre’s identity. So he was crushed and bewildered when, at the outbreak of WWII, that identity was suddenly snatched from him with no explanation.

So began Pierre’s lifelong search to solve the mystery of who he really was, a quest that forms the intriguing backdrop to this memoir of a fascinating and adventurous life on three continents. Spanning the insider art world of 1930s Paris, the battles of WWII, the occupation of France by the Nazis, Pierre’s involvement with the French resistance, his post-war work restoring art and historical monuments, and his eventual decision to create a new life in North America, The Missing Matisse is a story of intrigue, faith, and drama as Pierre journeys to discover the truth―before it’s too late.

Pierre Henri Matisse was born in Paris in 1928. Brought up as the grandson of Henri Matisse, Pierre spent his childhood among some of the most famous artists of the twentieth century, including Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali.

During WWII, Pierre and his father, Jean Matisse, were heavily involved in French underground activities, wanted by the Nazis for their efforts in aiding the British spies and saboteurs. When the war ended, Pierre worked in the restoration of the art and historical monuments in France that were damaged by the war.

Now a citizen of the United States, Pierre is best known as “The American Matisse, the Artist of Freedom and Love.” He is devoted to children’s causes and has given or created pieces to help organizations such as Project Hope, The American Red Cross, numerous children’s hospitals, missions organizations, and rescue programs around the world.

Pierre and his wife, Jeanne, live in Florida.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction

352 pages, Hardcover

Published November 1, 2016

Reviews

[Barbara Brink · Rating 5 out of 5]

This memoir was interesting reading even for a fiction lover like me. Maybe a fascination with World War II stories helps in some respect, but Pierre’s story is very compelling. Pierre’s depictions of pre-war life for he and his family were different from my notions of the time. Even his recollections of Parisian life before the war was interesting and different to me, which made clear to me the drastic ways that war affects everyone, not just those in the rage of the conflict. Pierre’s interactions with the famous artists that his family knew and entertained give us insights into their personal characteristics and quirks. His recollections of his life as a youth make you smile.

Pierre’s young adult involvement with the resistance, the dangerous missions he embarked upon, his relationship to his father, and how these affect his identity, help the reader understand the decisions he makes later in life. Pierre’s identity issues reveal themselves in so many ways through the memoir, as seen in the relationships with his wives and children, even his relationship to work. The resolution to his identity crisis in the later chapters brings hope for the future and clarity to the trials and turmoil of his life. This read was worthwhile, informative, and enjoyable for me. I would recommend it.

~Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

[Sarah Ellis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title of the book and its description are a little misleading. I thought that there were would be more about Matisse and other artists of the time period. There were only a few brief scenes with his grandfather Matisse, one funny scene with Picasso, and one scene with Dali.
Most of the book is an account of the author’s childhood and teen years in France during World War II. It is written in a light and breezy style that is entertaining to read. And the author was definitely a unique child and teen.
Where the book didn’t hold together was the mystery surrounding who his father was. It seemed like the subject would get dropped for long periods of time and then pop up again with very little explanation. I felt like the book needed more focus and editing.
Once the war was over, the last fifty pages of the book were a summary of the ways in which his life fell apart with financial trouble, medical problems, and multiple wives. Then there were long pages of the author’s dreams about Matisse and his family. Finally in the last ten pages, he discovers God and finds his purpose in life. This seemed completely disconnected from the rest of the book. I wish the book had ended with the conclusion of World War II. The author seems like an interesting person who has had an unusual life, but this book needed a lot of editing.

I received an advanced reading copy of this book.

[Laurel Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The charming and fascinating autobiography of the grandson of artist Henri Matisse. I especially enjoyed the childhood years.

[Cynthia Sillitoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the narration difficult at first, then was hooked, but struggled as he got older. This man, apparently, can do anything and has done almost everything and maybe he has.

[Jerrye Tellmeagreatstorylove · Rating 3 out of 5]

PLEASE CHECK THIS REVIEW OUT ON MY BLOG: https://tellmeagreatstory.wordpress.c...

The Missing Matisse: A Memoir by Pierre H. Matisse

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

__________________________________________________________

Story Notes

The real life story of Pierre H. Matisse's journey to find his true identity is one that leaves the reader pondering their own identity what it means to belong to your name.

This book became a love/hate story for me as I read it. The description of the book was very intriguing and I really looked forward to reading this real life story of a France native/ American citizen. However my enthusiasm waned quite a bit as began reading this book. I felt like Mr. Matisse dropped me right in the middle of his childhood and bombarded me with the many names of his family and the places they lived with little reference before they were mentioned. I think this was done to show how a child who has many relatives might feel if they had to got visiting all the time. I found this to be a bit off-putting for me personally because it showed in glaring detail Mr. Matisse's lack of writing ability. Understanding that Mr. Matisse is an artist and first time author mollified me somewhat but I felt his editors could have done better helping him piece the story together. It took me until the 200th page to really feel like the story got going enough to where I was curious to see what would happen next. Until then I found the chapters to be awkwardly put together and too much emphasis placed on the ordinary and uneventful moments of Mr. Matisse's childhood. This is not to minimize or trivialize the many experiences that Mr. Matisse had that made him the brave and adventurous person he was and is today. I really enjoyed reading of his efforts to help free his country from the grip of Francisco Franco's troops and later the Nazis. His devil-may-care attitude most certainly made him take more risks than others might but it also kept him alive through many dangerous situations. It tickled me to read of his outspokenness to those he didn't like and I laughed at his childish rants filled with foreign profanity he thought made him tougher - though Mr. Matisse was smart enough to leave out the actual texts of these rants, earning my applause. It was quite heartbreaking to read of his family trying to give him an alternate last name to protect him from the Nazis. The circumstances of his birth were not spoken of openly and later in life, Mr. Matisse would learn why. His mother Louise had been previously married to Camille Leroy and it was during their separation and before their divorce that Louise fell in love with Jean Matisse. Their affair led to Mr. Matisse's birth shortly after their marriage in 1928. In their efforts to protect him from harm, they gave him the name Pierre Leroy when he went to boarding school. This caused Mr. Matisse no end of confusion and doubt as to his real name and family. He would learn the truth many years later from his "grandmother" Leroy and eventually change official records as well in his later years to reflect this truth. To read of his later life as he moved to Canada and later America was really interesting as he and his family endured much to earn their way. I loved how he was able to return to his love of art as an older man recalling the encouragement of his grandfather, Henri Matisse, and having "visions" of him telling him to remember how to create the best art through simplicity. And to see how God used his art to bring him to faith in Jesus Christ was really wonderful. How lovely to read of how a project Mr. Matisse thought he was doing to make his wife happy brought him to the greatest Source of happiness there is. And to further read of his desire to tell the story of Jesus's Crucifixion showed work most certainly inspired by God. It was really wonderful to also read of Mr. Matisse's third and final marriage to Jeanne, whom his calls his life partner, at the age of 67! Life and marriage had not been very kind to him and I was glad to see he was able to find joy at last with Jeanne, and eventual reunion with his children from his first marriage. And to hear of their connection to the Robertson's of Duck Dynasty fame was an unexpectedly interesting ending to this memoir. What a wonderful passage it was to read of Mr. Matisse's baptism by Willie Robertson when he went to visit this sweet family his wife had come to love through their show. So, although this wasn't the most polished of memoirs it did entertain me fairly well. I would have preferred that the editors trim the excesses a little more and make the chapters more connected but perhaps they wished to keep those elements to make the book more authentic. I will share this book with others I know who enjoy reading memoirs but will offer a word of caution as to the awkward formatting and connectivity.

I received this book free of charge from Tyndale Momentum/Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation from either company for this review.

[Katrina Roets · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this but I'm afraid that I can't go above like. The book is written in present-tense which is really unusual for a memoir. The author also included a lot of information that just dragged down the story of his life instead of filling in the gaps. I had also hoped there would be a lot more regarding the mystery of who is father was. It seemed to pop up now and again but never in as much detail as I would have liked.

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the stories of Pierre Matisse growing up and during wwii. They were very well written and suspenseful. The end of the book in more modern life was less exciting to me, and caused me to change my rating of a 4 to a 3. I realize it’s his memoir and he can write what he wants to include…I just wasn’t excited by the very Jesus-y turn of voice.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing personal tale of one man’s journey through World War 2 and beyond. Pierre Matisse happens to be the grandson of celebrated artist Henri Matisse but his story is with reading on its own merit. The writing is straightforward and honest.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written in the fashion of a diary by Pierre H. Matisse, grandson of Henry Matisse. It is a non fiction unique story which reads like a fiction story. His descriptions of childhood and teenage experiences place you at the heart of the WWII era.

[Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh. Made it 20 pages. Sadly unreadable and not that interesting.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly inspiring

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting memoir by Matisse's grandson, focusing much of the action on his work in the French Resistance.

[Roberta Westwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 stars

FANTASTIC! So cool to hear the story of Henri Mattise’ grandson. The cover on this fooled me, I thought it was mystery fiction… so glad I looked closer and saw it was a memoir. Lots of WWII history in France is revealed during the telling, and I enjoyed when Picasso and other artists would pop into the storyline. Pierre is a talented artist himself, and it was special to hear him talk about his grandfather’s advice. Highly recommended.

[Llenerville · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Jaina Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is also available on my blog, Read Till Dawn.

Hmm, wow. This is a very unique outlook on WWII. Pierre's life was so dramatic, full of famous painters and exquisite art when he was small and terrible warfare and underground resistance adventures once France was pulled into war with Germany. His childhood essentially ended when he was about eleven years old, and he saw so many horrible atrocities perpetrated by the Germans (or "Boches," as the French called them). It's heartbreaking to read about the murders he witnessed, and even more stunning to read about his adventures as an underground freedom fighter since this is a true story. It reads like many of the fictional WWII books I've read over the years, but it actually happened! That's both horrifying and amazing to me.

I do have to say, though, that I had a few problems with the book. For one thing, it's told in present tense; I find this to be extremely confusing in non-fiction when the author is talking about things that happened in the past, because it makes me constantly have to guess "is he talking about something he did back then, or something that he does all the time/found out later?" Also, and please don't take this the wrong way, I honestly don't think I like Pierre as a person. He was extraordinarily brave, of course, but he was also an extremely ornery child who never felt any remorse; he stole and lied throughout most of his youth (and not always just against the Germans); after the war ended, he served his time in the French military oppressing Arabian citizens in the French-occupied Algiers; and he was divorced three times (including once after fathering four children, none of whom he took the time to see again for thirty years) before marrying the "love of his life" who was about thirty years his junior.

Also, I simply don't understand his obsession with connecting himself with the Matisse name. His story is very sad, and I do feel sorry for him because it must have been hard to grow up not knowing who his father really was, but it seems like the Leroys were actually nicer to him than the Matisses were. Why couldn't he have just stuck with their name? I for one wouldn't want to be a part of a family that treated both me and my mother like garbage, but then again I suppose I haven't been in his shoes.

The bottom line, though, is that Pierre went through so much–suffered so much–and he's part of that dying generation of WWII survivors (and heroes) who faced the atrocities and uncertainties of life under the German terror and managed to keep hold of their humanity despite everything. I may not respect his principles or all of his life choices, but I do respect him for the actions he chose during the war and pity him for the atrocities that he saw committed during the war. He was a part of action that no one else saw (or at least no one who lived to tell of it), and The Missing Matisse serves as an invaluable record of pieces of history that would have been lost forever if he hadn't written them down. I am grateful that he did.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Cheryl M-M · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author comes from what one would call French royalty of the art world. He has literally hobnobbed with some of the most talented artists of the twentieth century.

Aside from the historical content and context I thought the way Pierre suffers after the loss of his identity was the most intriguing aspect of the story. It’s as if the name change sends him into a complete identity crisis.

As the story unfolds we hear about the unusual circumstances of his birth, and why he legally was never considered a Matisse. I think his parents, the Matisse family and some of the Leroy family did him a great injustice. Pierre was stuck in a legal loophole, and despite the fact it remained that way throughout his life because of his legal father, I do think both of his biological parents should have stood up for him. I do take the emotional and violent events of WW2 into consideration, however I do think they owed him a conversation and clarification within his real family.

His whole life is subconsciously steered by this identity crisis and he doesn’t find any kind of inner peace until he turns around and tells the world who he really is.

I’m not sure it would have been the same for a boy from a lesser known family. The name Matisse is synonymous with creativity, passion, colour and the diverse world of art. I think Pierre wants people to acknowledge his own talent and also the long line of creative people he stems from. Most importantly he wants the same acknowledgement from the Matisse family, albeit subconsciously.

It is an interesting read, especially from an historical point of view.
*I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher via Edelweiss.*

[Jessica Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A breath-taking memoir that accounts many hair raising escapades during World War II in France.

Pierre Matisse was born into an artistic family. Many people know of his grandfather, Henri Matisse, who was a famous artist. Pierre loved his parents and his younger brother, but once the war started, his family began to be torn apart. He was forced to take another name to become Pierre Leroy and was no longer part of his family, at least on paper. This began a personal vendetta against Adolf Hitler and the Germans so that he could one day finally be reunited with his family and no longer be missing.

Pierre’s memoir recounts his time as a young boy in France as well as Spain including the Spanish civil war led by General Franco. He then returned to France with his family as the German Nazis started to occupy France. He was part of the evacuation of Paris and even helped his father in some of the French underground’s activities. He was transferred between boarding schools in his mother’s attempt to keep him safe and was eventually sent to Normandy to live with his “grandparents on paper” just days before D-Day and the Allied forces arrived. Needless to say, trouble finds Pierre without a problem.

This book was a really interested look at World War II history from the French side. The majority of the book is based around the WWII time frame, but does have some time before and after. Needless to say, Pierre was a very interesting person. The history that is presented really takes you to the time and place. There is a lot of raw emotion of tragic events that befall Pierre and his family, so beware before reading.

I felt like the end of the book was a little rushed. There was a lot of time spend from 1939 to 1946 and then very little devoted from then until present day. I bet he had a lot of grand adventures, but just had trouble figuring out which ones to share with everyone.

I recommend this book for anyone who loves history or memoirs!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

[Mikaela Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Missing Matisse is a memoir written by Pierre H. Matisse. To be honest, the first I had really heard of the name "Matisse" was in an Art Appreciation class I was taking right before this book became available for review. Since I had just learned about Henri Matisse and his work in the field of art, I thought it would be really interesting to read this book written by his grandson, Pierre Matisse.

Matisse writes his memoir in first person. He begins his book with his earliest memory. What exactly is that memory? Well, it is the memory of the day his younger brother was born. Although he was only 3 years old, Pierre is able to recount in great detail all that unfolded that eventful morning. Matisse continues his book by describing events that took place throughout his childhood and into his adult life.

As expected, Pierre Matisse possessed great artistic ability, even from an early age. He took pride in his art skills and tools. He saved for different paints and utensils, and he eventually had quite an impressive collection. However, one day during an art lesson, his grandfather took away his numerous paints and instead gave him four colors. His grandfather told him that all he needed were those four colors and that he should never buy another color again. Of course, Pierre was shocked, confused, and slightly angry at his grandfather. However, he took this as a challenge and, as a result, grew in his artistic abilities.

To be honest, I was not really sure what to expect from this book. I am not an artist, and I am not normally interested in the subject of art. However, I did find this book more interesting than I thought I would.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about Pierre H. Matisse.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my review.

You can learn more about the author through this Q&A by visiting this link: http://mediacenter.tyndale.com/downlo...

[Sara Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Missing Matisse” is a lovely memoir written by Pierre Henri Matisse, the grandson of famous artist Henri Matisse.

The memoir, which largely focuses on the childhood and World War II years of Pierre, is a story of courage and creation. It also deals with the pain of ostracism and finding one’s identity. And it is, in essence, a love story to God … revealing how God was always in Pierre’s life, even before he truly came to a personal relationship with Him.

Written very much like a fiction novel, a great portion of Matisse’s memoir offers the perspective of Pierre as a young child and teen-ager, and his experience of WWII, including underground secret missions. Young Pierre was precocious and full of mischief, a free spirit who sought out adventure. But it’s exactly these characteristics that helped get survive the war, as well as his military service in Northern Africa after WWII.

Throughout the book, and therefore throughout his life, he also constantly fought with the concept of his own identity, especially after being forced to change his last name from Matisse to Leroy as a child.

The remainder of the book deals with his move to Canada and eventually the United States, and how steps in his life eventually brought him to the place where he knew he needed a personal relationship with Jesus.

Matisse begins each chapter with personal illustrations reflecting that chapter’s topic, and the book also contains photos from as early as his childhood to the present.

“The Missing Matisse” is a fabulous memoir. It is a great book for anyone who enjoys autobiographies, World War II and historical books, art history, spy stories, and just a good tale in general. It’s an inspiring story.

Five stars out of five.

Tyndale House Publishers provided this complimentary copy for my honest, unbiased review.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, and am tempted to give it 4 stars, but there are a few things that bring it below my normal 4-star rating, which I will touch on later.

There is a fresh and lively feel to the book, as it is written in the first-person (as you'd expect), but also in the present tense. There are tidbits about art and famous artists, making for interesting reading to this artist. There are stories about WWII that are written not in a heavy, deep way, but in a boyish sort of way, with adventure around each corner--though with some sadness and shock, as well. There are illustrations in each chapter, as well as a section of photographs in the middle, which add a whimsical flourish and familial intimacy.

The author, grandson of more well-known Henri Matisse, has quite a fascinating boyhood, with mysterious family ties and underground activity (and the occasional theft). He knows God exists, and prays to Him when in distress, but it isn't until near the end of the book that he actually develops a love for Jesus. He is baptized, interestingly enough, by Willie Robertson, of Duck Dynasty fame. This is explained near the end of the book, too.

There are a couple of instances of the "h" swear word. The author marries (his fourth marriage) a woman without a ceremony at first, which I don't believe is a good example--plus she married him while she was a professed Christian and he was not. There is also a strange sort of dreaming and Spirit-led painting that makes me question a bit near the end of the book. Oh, and the talk of nude paintings/sculptures. These things are reality in his life, so I understand, but they need not be prominently or favorably included (and they aren't extremely so).

I received this book from the Tyndale Blog Network for my honest review.

[victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fist I have to say Thank you for the Author Pierre H.Matisse for sharing his journey from his own experiences that was happen from his real life and share his memory from his love with his family and friend.
Pierre he was born into a famous family and grow up immersed in the art world of Paris and the French Riviera, he spending time with some of the most famous artists at that time and the most famous artist that he know from his whole like is his grandfather Henri Matisse and the most encouraged his young age life with a creating a strong desire in his become a great artist in his own now.
This is a beautiful book that full of a color of life from the best one artist as we know " The American Matisse, Artist if Freedom and Love" and from his memoir of a fascinating and adventurous life on three continents. Spanning the insider art world of 1930s Paris, the battles of WWII, the occupation of France by the Nazis ,This will be a incredible in his journey experience life that giving us to discovery in this book and giving us to learn from his passed too. I highly recommend this book must read.

[Mariejkt · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Missing Matisse" by Pierre H. Matisse is the memoir of the author life in France before, during, and after World War II. This is not just a memoir of the war but of Art also as the artist/author is the grandson of the famous artist Henri Matisse which makes the author life even more interesting. I have read a lot of different memoir's on World War II but this one was different. It gave details that I had never heard of which is what happened when Germany first invaded France. The details and information the author gives is are so powerful and sad. The war not only brought him to struggles with what was happening in his country but also on the personal level. This memoir was very powerful and I really liked how the author did not hold anything back. What a life he has had. I highly recommend this book.

I was given this book from Tyndale Publishers for free and was not required to give a positive review.

[Yo Leo Ficción Cristiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

RESEÑA COMPLETA EN ESPAÑOL

Worth reading!

I like to read autobiographies because it's a great way to get to know someone's life from their point of view. With this book I hoped to know not only the story of Pierre Matisse, but also how the events and circumstances affected his growth.

At times, this book seemed like a novel because the narrated facts sounded so incredible -from the atrocities during World War II, to the author’s personal life- and I constantly had to remind myself that Pierre Matisse is a real person and that everything narrated truly happened. His story is fascinating, intriguing, and poignant at the same time. It is admirable to know that someone who has gone through such difficult circumstances has managed to find his identity and the freedom he so longed for.

Definietly, this memoir is worth reading.

-I received a book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion, which I did-

[Mazzou B · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the autobiography/memoir of Pierre Henri Matisse, the grandson of legendary artist Henri Matisse. The setting is tumultuous world war 2.

This memoir had all the makings of an amazing read. It, however, surprisingly disappointed me. The writing style was unbelievably boring. The author included twice as much information as necessary to make his autobiography interesting. Every childhood memory, whether important to the ''plot'' or not, was included, making the reader confused as to what the purpose of each chapter was.

The writing style is present-tense which, combined with the length of the book makes it an extremely tedious read! The second half of the book is definitely better than the beginning but still not worth the time reading. It is unusual that I have such a bad opinion of an autobiography- especially one about World War II! I am sorry, but I can not give a good rating to this book.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recevied a complimentary copy.

Q@A-

- What did you like about the book and why? I liked the story itself because it took me into a new era with a truth and style that was easy to read.

- What did you not like about the book and why? I found it to be a great book, there was nothing wrong.

- What did you learn? All about Mr. Matisse and that this is a really good adventure book

- To whom would you recommend this book and why? Older agen individuals who may even remember the war. Also anyone who likes the topic and reading memoirs.

[Melissa B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like reading World War II stories about civilians who try to make a difference in the war effort by joining the Resistance, this book is for you!

Pierre Matisse, the grandson of famed artist Henry Matisse, lives in France and is a teenager during World War II. While the bulk of this book is about his life during that time, he also delves into his life afterward, especially in regard to a family mystery that continues to haunt him, even as a man of 88.

[Marsmannix · Rating 4 out of 5]

This enchanting book is about the discovery of a family legacy and the reclamation of the writer's connection to his father and grandfather. It is a mystery, spy novel, and art book rolled into one.
Matisse brings the scenes of his childhood to life vividly. His work with the "maquis" during WWII makes exciting reading.

It falls off a little at the end, but reading how he resolved his mysteries, and found himself as an artist recreated in America, is a sweet little desert.

Recommended!

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pierre Matisse has had quite the life. As a boy he lived through the occupation of France during World War II and participated in the Resistance. Later he emigrated to Canada and later the United States. all this time he tried to figure out who his father was. I found the first person accounts of life in wartime France to be fascinating.