MATISSE DRAWINGS ON EXHIBITION AT NYC's MAISON FRANCAISE

HENRI MATISSE WRITERS ON PAPER: SELECTED DRAWINGS AND PRINTS FROM THE PIERRE AND TANA MATISSE FOUNDATION IS THE FIRST EXHIBITION DEDICATED EXCLUSIVELY TO MATISSE'S LITTLE-KNOWN DRAWINGS OF MEN. THE EXHIBITION, ON VIEW AT THE NEW YORK UNIVERSITY'S MAISON FRANCAISE FROM 2.NOVEMBER TO 21.DECEMBER, INCLUDES A SELECTION OF INTIMATE DRAWINGS AND PRINTS OF WRITERS, INCLUDING MATISSE'S FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES, AND A YOUNG POET AND MARTYR, ROGER BERNARD, WHOM MATISSE ADMIRED. SEVERAL OF THE WORKS IN THE EXHIBITION, CREATED BETWEEN 1937 AND 1946, ARE BEING SHOWN FOR THE FIRST TIME. CENTRAL TO WRITERS ON PAPER ARE SEVEN LARGE PEN AND INK PORTRAITS OF LOUIS ARAGON, ONE OF FRANCE'S FOREMOST POETS, WHO BECAME ONE OF MATISSE'S MOST PASSIONATE ADVOCATES. OTHER DRAWINGS AND LITHOGRAPHS IN THE JEWEL LIKE EXHIBITION PORTRAY HENRI DE MONTHERLANT, PAUL LEAUTAUD, AND MATISSE'S MYSTERIOUS NEIGHBOR, FRANZ THOMASSIN, AN AVENT-GARDE WRITER WHO PUBLISHED UNDER THE NAME FRANZ VILLER. THE IMAGES IN THE EXHIBITION OFFER INSIGHTS INTO THE PERSONALITIES OF THE WRITERS. INDEED, MATISSE'S SPONTANEOUS PORTRAITS ARE LIKE FRAMES FROM CANDID DOCUMENTARY FILMS. RENDERED IN HIS HALLMARK STENOGRAPHIC STYLE, THE ARTIST'S OBSERVATIONS ARE IMBUED WITH CLARITY, ELEGANCE AND STRONG EXPRESSIVE POWER.