Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color — A Celebration of Cut Paper, Color, and Line

In the early 1940s, Henri Matisse (1869–1954), after undergoing surgery that left him largely bedridden, turned to cut paper. Drawing on memories of Parisian music halls, the circus, his travels to Tahiti, as well as folklore and mythology, he created twenty vibrant maquettes. These compositions were then reproduced using pochoir and accompanied by texts written by Matisse to form the artist book Jazz, published in 1947.

Matisse’s Jazz illustrates the artist’s ongoing exploration of color and line. Through his cut-outs, Matisse achieved a rare unification of these elements, elevating color from a purely visual domain to an almost transcendental level and simplifying line to its most elemental expression.

This exhibition marks the first full presentation of Jazz since its acquisition by the Art Institute in 1948. It also brings together over fifty works from the museum’s collection, offering a compelling journey through Matisse’s continual innovation and expressive power. Curated by Emily Ziemba, Director of Curatorial Administration and Curator of Prints and Drawings, the exhibition celebrates one of the most important artist books of the twentieth century.