HENRI MATISSE (1869-1954) One of the undisputed masters of 20th century art, was a French artist, known for his use of color & his fluid & original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, & sculptor, but is known primarily as a painter. Matisse is commonly regarded, along with Picasso & Marcel Duchamp, as one of the three artists who helped to define the revolutionary developments in the plastic arts in the opening decades of the 20th century, responsible for significant developments in painting & sculpture. Although he was initially labeled a Fauve (wild beast), by the 1920s he was increasingly hailed as an upholder of the classical tradition in French painting. His mastery of the expressive language of colour & drawing, displayed in a body of work spanning over a half-century, won him recognition as a leading figure in modern art. Original Limited Edition Chine Appliqué (China paper mounted on wove paper), 1948. Edition 300, plus proofs. Paper Size: 9.75" x 7.50." Signed & numbered in pencil, with Lana Ram’s Head watermark. Catalogue: Fribourg livres illustrés 25; Claude Duthuit 23. Published by Ernest Flammarion, Paris; printed at Atelier Fernand Mourlot, Paris on April 1, 1948. A superb impression of the definitive state, from the edition of 300. Commissioned as the frontispiece to the deluxe edition of the Jules Romains book Pierres Levées, Poèmes (Raised Stones, Poems), bearing the letterpress title of the book on the verso. Excellent Condition; unframed. Tête De Femme | Fribourg 25; Duthuit 23 Ltd Ed Litho, Henri Matisse - Signed
