Vibrant composition is a definitive example of Henri Matisse’s "Jazz" period, a time when he famously traded his brushes for scissors to "draw into colour". While the most famous version of Icarus features a white silhouette on a black and blue ground, this specific plate showcases Matisse’s experimental approach to the same mythological theme. In this iteration, the figure of Icarus is rendered as a buoyant, sky-blue form tumbling through a rich, violet atmosphere, surrounded by a complex border of rhythmic, serrated shapes. The Jazz portfolio was not intended to be a literal representation of music, but rather a visual translation of its spirit, improvisation, syncopation, and sudden bursts of energy. The layered horizontal bands of green, pink, and brown create a "beat" against which the central figure moves. Matisse viewed these cut-outs as a liberation; by cutting directly into the pigment, he removed the boundary between the line and the hue. The result is a work that feels remarkably contemporary even nearly 80 years later. It captures the essence of the "Fauve" (Wild Beast) spirit that Matisse championed throughout his life: the belief that colour should be used to express emotion rather than describe reality.

Studio Gallery Frame in 'black'; acrylic safety fronts; ready-to-hang options.

Gift-ready, arriving hand-wrapped in acid-free tissue paper. Plastic-free packaging.

Image source: OpenSource CC0.