This landmark exhibition features examples of Matisse's livres d'artiste and illustrated books and to explores the decisive role book production played in his career.

World renowned for his paintings, sculptures, drawings, and cut-outs, Henri Matisse (1869–1954) also embraced the printed book as a means of artistic expression. Between 1912 and his death in 1954, he was engaged in nearly fifty book illustration projects, many produced with his direct involvement in page layout, typography, lettering, ornament, and cover design. He planned these publications with his characteristic vigilance and zeal, seeking a perfect fusion of image and text. Some thirty of these modern masterpieces will be on view for the first time together in this landmark exhibition exploring the decisive role book production played in Matisse’s career.