By Henri Matisse
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite linocut after Henri Matisse (1869–1954), titled Teeny (Teeny), from the album XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, XXIe Annee, No. 13, Noel 1959, originates from the 1959 edition published by Societe Internationale dArt XXe Siecle, Paris, under the direction of Gualtieri di San Lazzaro, editeur, Paris, and printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, 1959. Teeny reflects Matisses continuing exploration of distilled form, graphic clarity, and expressive contour during his late career.
Executed as a linocut on velin paper, this work measures 12.5 x 9.75 inches. Unsigned and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the superb craftsmanship of Mourlot Freres, Paris
Artwork Details:
Artist: After Henri Matisse (1869–1954)
Title: Teeny (Teeny)
Medium: Linocut on velin paper
Dimensions: 12.5 x 9.75 inches (31.75 x 24.77 cm)
Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered as issued
Date: 1959
Publisher: Societe Internationale dArt XXe Siecle, Paris, under the direction of Gualtieri di San Lazzaro, editeur, Paris
Printer: Mourlot Freres, Paris
Catalogue raisonne reference: Matisse, Henri, et al. Henri Matisse: Catalogue Raisonne de Loeuvre Grave Etabli Avec La Collaboration de Francoise Garnaud. C. Duthuit, 1983, illustration 723
Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium
Provenance: From the album XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, XXIe Annee, No. 13, Noel 1959, published by Societe Internationale dArt XXe Siecle, Paris; printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, 1959
About the Publication:
Gualtieri di San Lazzaros XXe Siecle (Twentieth Century) was one of the most influential art journals of the modern era, founded in Paris in 1938 as a platform for the greatest painters, sculptors, and writers of the 20th century. San Lazzaro, a visionary editor, critic, and champion of modernism, believed that art and literature should coexist as expressions of a shared human imagination. Under his direction, XXe Siecle became a cultural bridge between Europe and the wider world, publishing special issues devoted to leading figures such as Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Braque, Calder, Miro, Kandinsky, and Leger. Each edition combined essays by renowned critics and poets with original lithographs, linocuts, and woodcuts printed by the foremost ateliers of Paris, Milan, and New York, including Mourlot, Curwen, Atelier Lacouriere, and Amilcare Pizzi, creating a uniquely rich dialogue between text and image. The 1959 issue, XXIe Annee, No. 13, presented a remarkable selection of original prints that showcased the vitality of European modernism at mid century. Today, XXe Siecle remains an essential record of 20th century modernism, celebrated for its seamless integration of fine art, literature, and design.
About the Artist:
Henri Matisse (1869–1954) was a French painter, sculptor, draughtsman, and printmaker whose revolutionary vision redefined modern art through his daring use of color, line, and form. Celebrated as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, Matisse led the Fauvist movement and devoted his life to the pursuit of balance, beauty, and emotional expression in visual art. His early works burst with vibrant hues and liberated brushwork, while his later cut out compositions achieved a poetic simplicity that transformed the relationship between color and space. Deeply influenced by the work of Paul Cezanne, Vincent van Gogh, and Georges Seurat, as well as by the rhythmic patterns of Islamic art, Byzantine mosaics, and Japanese prints, Matisse forged a new visual language that celebrated joy, movement, and serenity. He was part of an extraordinary generation of artists who shaped the evolution of modernism, maintaining lifelong dialogue and friendly rivalry with contemporaries such as Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Marc Chagall, Andre Derain, Albert Marquet, and Raoul Dufy peers who, like him, sought to expand the expressive potential of color and composition. Matisses influence extended across generations, inspiring modern and contemporary masters including Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray, each of whom drew upon his fearless experimentation and refined visual harmony. His paintings, sculptures, and works on paper are held in the most prestigious museums in the world, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Centre Pompidou, the Tate, and the Hermitage Museum, where his art continues to symbolize the essence of creativity and human emotion. The highest price ever paid for a Henri Matisse artwork is approximately 80.8 million USD, achieved in 2018 at Christies New York for Odalisque couchee aux magnolias (1923).
Henri Matisse linocut...
Category
1950s Post-Impressionist Prints and Multiples
