Product Description Matisse & Picasso achieved extraordinary prominence during their lifetimes. They stand not only for different kinds of art, but also for different ways of living. Matisse, known for his restraint & intense sense of privacy, for his decorum & discretion, created an art that transcended daily life & conveyed a sensuality that inhabited an abstract & ethereal realm of being. In contrast, Picasso became the exemplar of intense emotionality, of art as a kind of autobiographical confession that was often charged with violence & explosive eroticism. This vol. explores the compelling, competitive, parallel lives of these two artists & their very different attitudes toward the idea of artistic greatness, toward the women they loved, & ultimately toward their confrontations with death. Illustrated.
Customer Reviews: Lucid, Riviting Artist StoriesJuly 27, 2004 Artist Barbara Garro(Barbara Garro at http://www.ElectricEnvisions.com in Saratoga Springs, NY) 11 out of 11 found this review helpful
Imagine one tightly written book that can tell you what the art world was like for much of the 20th Century! Jack Flam is the man who did just that in "Matisse Picaso." Then imagine learning all about the lives of Matisse and Picasso and their loves along with their push-pull friendship and competition. After that get the skinny on the paintings both men painted. I never even saw all the -------- in Picasso's paintings. Now, it is hard to see anything else.
I found this book to be much more exciting then typical biographies that include all the boring parts of people's lives. Here you get all the interesting parts with all the boring parts left out. I read every word and recommend the book without reservation. In fact, I believe every art student needs to read this book, every artist, every art affictionado.
Excellent JuxtopositionJune 21, 2003 Sergio Remon(New York, NY United States) 9 out of 10 found this review helpful
Before there was Andy Warhol, the ultimate in art cool, there was Picasso. And before there was Picasso, there was Matisse. Picasso and his cronies used to make fun of Matisse's primitive style and threw fake darts at Matisse's portrait of his daughter, and people laughed in the salons at Matisse's Joy of Life but no artist influenced Picasso more than Matisse, from his works to his introduction to African and Iberian art, Matisse was one of the few constants in Picasso's life, always keeping the paintings that he had of Matisse. These two heavyweights, more than anybody, have influenced the way we make art today. This books does a great job fleshing out the relationship between these two artists and how they affected each other in a well written and highly accesible format. An excellent book worthy of the excellent artists.
Matisse and Picasso by FlamSeptember 26, 2003 Joseph S. Maresca(Bronxville, New York USA) 2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is an excellent work for art history enthusiasts. It depicts many famous works of art by Matisse and Picasso. Classically, Matisse is known for the artful use of color; whereas, Picasso is credited with the unique form of Cubism which pervades his artwork. Flam depicts important works by both artists. For instance, Matisse's "The Woman With The Hat" is shown in full color. Picasso's "The Acrobat's Family" is depicted together with "The Two Nudes". These pictures show the emotional side of Picasso's work in contradistinction to Matisse's exercise of restraint. This book would make a perfect gift for a friend, relative or art buff.
Must read for Art lovers!!!May 24, 2006 Himri(Tempe, AZ USA) 1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is an excellent book. I am thoroughly enjoying it.
This book compares great painters 'Henri Matisse' and 'Pablo Picasso' works and the influence of each other and their works on the others art.
Henri Matisse with his keeping the painting simple and lively and Picasso with his cubism, drawing from imagination are 'artists of different worlds'. They have different painting styles and they paint at exactly opposite times.
The book goes through the works of each in the order one was done as a reacton to the other, sometimes one trying to beat the other at their own style.
CITES:
Baudelaire's essay- 'The Painter of Modern Life'.
Apollinaire's essay on Picasso's work.(also his 'La Poete assasine')
Picasso's play - 'Desire caught by the tail'.
Matisse - 'Notes of a Painter'.
Esthetic in braidOctober 4, 2003 John C. Landon(New York City) 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
If this be gossip, then it is the best kind. Engaging account of the rivalry/synergy of Matisse and Picasso and the interactions over half a century, with a Gertrude Stein introit at the beginning. This competition is fairly lightweight stuff as far as I can see although throwing rubber suction darts at a Matisse painting gets close to borderline rascalian--Picasso probably loses points on adolescent misdemeanours, but the art of both leaves us unable to judge, save that a third here could not be found.
CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.
