The work of Henri Matisse has been both a profound inspiration to his successors and a source of infinite enjoyment to all who love art. Yet the apparent spontaneity of his color and ease of imagery were the fruit of a lifetime's arduous labor; the simplicity of his compositions the result of a formidable intelligence.

In this updated edition of Lawrence Gowing's 1985 study, he takes readers through Matisse's career, assessing his influence on the art that has followed him, and looking closely at Matisse's own achievements. The detailed discussion of individual works reveals the subtlety and complexity of one of the greatest masters of all time. From the modest realism of his first paintings to the grandeur of his gouaches cut out to create his signature masterpieces, this book follows Matisse's artistic development through the decades. At the age of twenty, Matisse was employed as a lawyer's clerk and he came to art relatively late, however, in the end, his artistic career would last sixty years.

Reproducing his art in full color, this book examines the works that defined his career and secured his legacy as an artist.