• Hidden is excited to offer the rare opportunity to purchase an original Henri Matisse cut-out. Lithographs from Matisse’s legendary Verve portfolio feature his most iconic cut-out compositions, such as his Blue Nudes and L’Escargot, and are from the only edition of the cut-outs that have been produced under the artist’s supervision. These timeless, highly sought-after artworks are perfect for collectors looking to either build up or enrich their art collection.

  • In the years preceding his death in 1954, Matisse’s ill health confined him to bed for long periods of time....

    In the years preceding his death in 1954, Matisse’s ill health confined him to bed for long periods of time. Though he could no longer paint, the artist began what he dubbed his ‘second life’. Working with the limitations that beset him, he invented his own medium by creating his legendary paper cut-outs. Through his radical new practice, he reinvogirated figuration and abstraction and sustained his lifelong commitment to colour and form. 

     

    To create his cut-outs, his assistants would first paint sheets of paper with gouache in Matisse’s specified colours. He would then cut these into his desired shapes, a process which he desribed as 'drawing with scissors'. Finally, each collage would be pinned together according to Matisse’s directions. Many adjustments would take place until he was completely satisfied - which was no easy task. 

     

    Matisse's joyful cut-outs are defiant in the face of adversity. When Matisse couldn’t visit his favourite pool, he created his own indoors and when he couldn't venture outside, he created his own exotic flora.

  •
  • Matisse was extremely proud of these revolutionary works. During 1953-54, he worked with the master lithographer Fernand Mourlot (with whom... Matisse was extremely proud of these revolutionary works. During 1953-54, he worked with the master lithographer Fernand Mourlot (with whom... Matisse was extremely proud of these revolutionary works. During 1953-54, he worked with the master lithographer Fernand Mourlot (with whom... Matisse was extremely proud of these revolutionary works. During 1953-54, he worked with the master lithographer Fernand Mourlot (with whom... Matisse was extremely proud of these revolutionary works. During 1953-54, he worked with the master lithographer Fernand Mourlot (with whom...

    Matisse was extremely proud of these revolutionary works. During 1953-54, he worked with the master lithographer Fernand Mourlot (with whom he had been producing prints since 1935) and the art publisher Tériade to reimagine them as a series of lithographs. These were created for a special edition of Tériade’s quarterly magazine Verve, an influential publication which played a huge part in shaping public opinion of Modern art. Picasso, Miró and Braque were just three other eminent artists who worked on editions of Verve.

     

    Matisse oversaw the first proofs for publication in 1954, including the cover design. However, he died before the lithographs could be published. Consequently, this edition of Verve, published in 1958, became a posthumous tribute to Matisse's final years and was titled Dernières Oeuvres de Matisse 1950-54 (Last Works of Matisse). 

     

    Did you know? In 1937, Matisse created the first ever cover for Verve, so it is fitting that the magazine went on to print this landmark tribute. The publication featured forty original lithographs based on his final cut-outs and was printed in an edition of 2000 copies. 

  • Since the cut-outs are Matisse’s most iconic works, the Verve portfolio has been endlessly copied, re-interpreted and reproduced without ever being bettered. The lithographs we hold are all original; they have all come from the first edition published by Mourlot and Tériade in 1958, the only edition in which Matisse had any involvement. As a result, the paper, colour, and specification are exactly as Matisse would have wished.

     

  • Coming soon to Bristol...

    Between 8th - 21st May, we will be showcasing all forty lithographs from the Verve portfolio at our gallery in Bristol. Before they make their debut as part of our exclusive new exhibition, we've included a sneak preview of our collection's highlights below.

     

    Spot anything you like? Register your interest with us via the link below to reserve an artwork in advance of our exhibition's opening.

    Reserve an artwork
  •
  • L'Escargot, translating to The Snail, is held in the Tate Modern's collection. Matisse worked on this cut-out from the middle...

    L'Escargot, translating to The Snail, is held in the Tate Modern's collection. Matisse worked on this cut-out from the middle of 1952 until the start of 1953, meticulously arranging a series of coloured shapes in a spiral pattern to mimic the concentric pattern of a snail shell.

     

    The original cut-out was made in the Hôtel Régina at Nice, one of the locations where Matisse lived and held a studio in the final years of his life. The artist created many studies of snail shells around the time of this artwork's creation and described to André Verdet, a poet and friend of the artist, that through his drawings he 'became aware of an unrolling'. This sense of movement informed the abstract, spiral composition of L'Escargot.

    Enquire now
  •
  • The female figure was a recurring and important subject for Matisse, and his Blue Nudes are amongst his most accomplished... The female figure was a recurring and important subject for Matisse, and his Blue Nudes are amongst his most accomplished... The female figure was a recurring and important subject for Matisse, and his Blue Nudes are amongst his most accomplished... The female figure was a recurring and important subject for Matisse, and his Blue Nudes are amongst his most accomplished...
    The female figure was a recurring and important subject for Matisse, and his Blue Nudes are amongst his most accomplished cut-outs. Numerous drawings were made in preparation for these artworks and Matisse made countless adjustments before they were considered to be complete. The artist's meticulous craftsmanship resulted in a polished, revolutionary body of work in which painterly techniques are subverted and form and line become indistinguishable. Nu Bleu IV was particularly laboured over, evolving over two weeks on both a studio wall and easel. 

    Enquire now
  •
  • La Perruche et la Sirene is a compendium of the visual stimuli that Matisse had experienced on his 1930 visit...
    La Perruche et la Sirene is a compendium of the visual stimuli that Matisse had experienced on his 1930 visit to Tahiti. The scene combines elements of both the terrestrial and aquatic worlds; the vegetation may refer to either seaweed or the familiar leaves of the acanthus plant. While the parakeet and the pomegranates clearly belong to the land, the presence of the mermaid is more ambiguous. While creating his cut-outs he said that “The memories of my voyage to Tahiti have only now returned to me, fifteen years later, in the form of obsessive images: madrepores, corals, birds, jellyfish, sponges...” The brilliant tropical colours, exotic bird and vibrant fruits in this piece are the afterimages of that journey. 

    The figure of the mermaid was a relatively late addition to the composition. Having cleared a space at the top right of the composition, Matisse tried out a number of figures representing the blue nude, adjusting the placement of the vegetation as necessary. Ultimately, he chose to cut a completely new figure.

    The original cut-out was acquired by the Stedelijk Musem in Amsterdam in 1967. It is widely considered to be one of the greatest of Matisse's works.
    ENQUIRE NOW
  • To learn more about Henri Matisse, follow the link below for our Collector's Guide.
     
    Collector's Guide to Henri Matisse