Matisse's Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Bedridden and unable to paint in the 1940s, French artist Henri Matisse turned to a new medium: cut paper. Drawing from memories of circuses, world travel, folktales and Parisian music halls, he created a series of 20 maquettes. In 1947, these vibrant compositions were reproduced using pochoir (stencil) techniques and paired with Matisse's own writing to create the unbound book Jazz. This exhibition marks the first time Matisse's Jazz will be shown in its entirety since the Art Institute acquired it in 1948.