Collector's Guide to Henri Matisse

Who was Henri Matisse?

Henri Matisse (1869 – 1954) is often considered the greatest colourist of the 20^th century. The significance of his innovations made him Picasso’s most important rival, and he was a painter, printmaker, sculptor and draughtsman of incredible agility and inventiveness. A giant of Modernism, his career culminated in the papiers découpés, revolutionary paper cut-outs that have become some of the most iconic images in the history of art.

BALANCE, PURITY AND SERENITY – THE EVOLUTION OF HENRI MATISSE

“The performance of the acrobat appears easy and relaxed…but let us not lose sight of the long preliminary ordeal which enables him to give this effect. It is the same in painting. With hard work, the mastery of one’s medium should pass from the conscious to the unconscious; only then can one successfully give an impression of spontaneity.”

Embarking on a career as a painter with no formal training, Matisse’s artistic breakthrough came slowly. A sojourn with the neo-Impressionists in St Tropez during the summer of 1904 awakened his appetite for brilliant and expressive colour, but his eureka moment came the following year in Collioure. Working alongside André Derain, he produced dramatic landscapes in sizzling tones, using dynamic brushwork and unmixed paint straight from the tube. At the Salon d’Automne in 1905 Matisse and his fellow artists were decried as fauves (wild beasts). Fauvism was born, and Matisse’s early notoriety assured.

During the following decade or so he developed a groundbreaking style that emphasised flattened forms combined with rich colour and decorative pattern. He responded to the challenge of Cubism with a series of rigorous, demanding and highly abstracted paintings that have been described as an exercise in ‘radical invention’. After relocating to Nice in 1917, his work relaxed and during the 1920s he produced an extensive body of work that often focused on the theme of the female model settled within a richly decorated hotel interior. He was celebrated as a standard bearer of the classical tradition in French painting.

After 1930 his depiction of form became more simplified and radical. If his career is thought of as a dialogue between the demands of drawing and colour, he was able to forge a brilliant synthesis of the two in his final years with the papiers découpés. He explained that “cutting coloured papers permits me to draw in the colour. For me it is a matter of simplification. Instead of establishing a contour, and then filling it with colour – the one modifying the other – I draw directly in the colour… This guarantees a precise union of the two processes; they become one.”

1. One of the two most influential painters of the 20th century

Matisse’s early patron Sergei Schukin once said that “If a picture gives you a psychological shock, buy it. It’s a good one.” At a distance of seventy years, it can be hard to imagine how revolutionary Matisse’s images of peace, serenity and pleasure really were. Schukin, for his part, was so unnerved by Matisse’s Dance that he twice reneged on a deal to purchase it before finally striking up the courage to hang it in his home. When you are stood before a Matisse, you are looking at a record of a trailblazing career that transformed the possibilities of Western art. Picasso, not a man to willingly share the limelight, told his biographer Pierre Daix that “no one has ever looked at Matisse’s painting more carefully than I; and no one has looked at mine more carefully than he.” Nobody challenged him the way Matisse did.

2. A devoted printmaker

Alongside his astonishing career as a painter and draughtsman, Matisse created over 800 prints using a variety of techniques. He made his first prints in 1900, when he was still establishing a name for himself as an artist. Printmaking gave him the chance to reexamine elements of composition and line after laborious painting sessions. His prints were often created in bursts of intense activity. A shortage of materials during World War I pushed him towards the intimacy and immediacy of printmaking, and during this time he produced more than fifty etchings, ten lithographs and a dozen monotypes. The 1920s were especially fruitful, with Matisse creating a plethora of sensuous, lavishly detailed lithographs that rival his paintings for richness. In the early 1930s he produced over a hundred etchings. The late 1940s saw an eruption of more than fifty sugar lift aquatints that express the gorgeous eloquence of his ink and brush drawings. The story of Matisse’s evolution is traced out in a body of prints that spans more than fifty years.

3. A vibrant market

The auction record for Matisse is $80.8 million, set in 2018 when the oil painting Odalisque couchée aux magnolias went under the hammer at Christie’s. For collectors, Matisse is as blue chip as they come. While his paintings are beyond the reach of most budgets, his original prints can be acquired for prices well below £10,000. His aquatints, lithographs and etchings demonstrate vividly his incredible skills as a draughtsman and are always a tantalising prospect for those interested in Modern art. Matisse’s prints are an entry point to one of the most robust markets of any artist.

STARTING A MATISSE COLLECTION

Matisse’s most sought-after prints tend to be his monochrome aquatint portraits, followed closely by his lithographs. His etchings are also highly coveted and were often published in very small editions. Unlike most artists, who enlist the expertise of technicians in print workshops, Matisse had a small etching press installed in his studio, allowing him to print as and when he liked. This gives many of his etchings an intimate, spontaneous quality. His lithographs, created with the more conventional assistance of master printers such as Mourlot, tend to make grander, more public statements. All of them demonstrate Matisse’s incredible affinity for line.

COSTS AND INVESTMENT

Matisse’s prints sit on a broad spectrum of prices, offering desirable options to different levels of collector. Despite his status as one of the most important and influential artists of his century, Matisse’s works are generally priced lower than comparable pieces by Picasso and Warhol, making them an incredible value proposition. Typically ranging from a few thousand to several tens of thousands depending upon the image, condition and scarcity, Matisse’s prints offer entry to an incredible body of work at a price much lower than you might imagine.

Buy from a Reputable Source

When purchasing a Matisse artwork, it’s crucial to buy from a reputable source. Imagine buying a print for a significant sum, only to discover years later that the signature was faked, or the print itself was counterfeit. Issues like these are prevalent in the art world, and even minor alterations can have catastrophic effects on an artwork’s value.

Without expertise, collectors might overlook these issues. If you purchase a problematic artwork at auction, the principle of “caveat emptor” (buyer beware) applies, and getting your money back is unlikely. To avoid these pitfalls, buying from a reputable dealer or gallery is essential. Ensure they have genuine expertise, a proven track record, and reliable customer support. This approach helps protect your investment and provides assurance for future valuations or resale.

Other things to consider

AUTHENTICITY: Ensure the piece is authenticated by a reliable source. Detailed records have been compiled of Matisse’s prints across a variety of media. The most authoritative figure in this project was Claude Duthuit, Matisse’s own grandson. Here at Hidden we own an extensive library of catalogues raisonnes, and we research each work in great detail.

CONDITION: The condition of the artwork significantly effects its value. Paper is a fragile material, so look for pieces that have been well preserved. If the work has been framed, ensure it has been done to conservation standards using archival materials. This will ensure that your piece is protected for years to come.

EDITION SIZE: For prints, the size of the edition can impact its value. Smaller editions are generally more desirable and command higher prices due to their scarcity. Remember that regardless of the published editions size, some examples may have been damaged or lost over time, making the remaining pieces rarer.

SIGNATURE: Hand-signed pieces are generally (though not always) more desirable. Although a full signature is more common, Matisse sometimes signed his works with a monogram.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The subject matter of any given image will have an effect upon its value. Works that reflect pivotal moments in Matisse’s career or art history tend to fetch higher prices.