La chute dicare de henri matisse biography

"The Fall of Icarus (La Chute d'Icare)," 1943, by Henri Matisse (1869-1954). Gouache on paper, cut and pasted, and pins.

In the last years of his life, Matisse - one of the most famous painters in the world - all but gave up painting for huge, colorful collages made out of cut paper.

His magnificent creations are now the centerpiece of a new show at New York's Museum of Modern Art, "Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs."

Two Dancers (Deux danseurs)

Henri Matisse's "Two Dancers (Deux danseurs)," 1937-38.

Stage curtain design for the ballet "Rouge et Noir."

Gouache on paper, cut and pasted, notebook papers, pencil, and thumbtacks.

The Clown (Le Clown)

In 1943 Matisse was commissioned to produce a book called "Jazz." He used cut paper to compose each of the book's 20 plates.

Matisse liked the look of the stuck-on bits of cut paper, but when the book was printed, all the texture was lost.

Suddenly, he realized cut-outs could be a new art form.

Left: Henri Matisse's "The Clown (Le