Les Codomas [The Codomas] (from 'Jazz')
About this artwork
Following surgery for cancer in 1941, Matisse struggled to stand by an easel and instead made cut-outs while confined to his bed or wheelchair. In 1942 the publisher, Elf Tériade, commissioned Matisse to make a book of colour images. Matisse conceived it as a book on the circus although began to incorporate other subjects and motifs. The Codomas were a famous trapeze act. In the image it is possible to identify two yellow figures flying through the air. The black and yellow grid is their safety net beneath.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Henri Matisse (1869 - 1954) French
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title:Les Codomas [The Codomas] (from 'Jazz')
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date created:1947
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materials:Pochoir print on paper
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measurements:42.00 x 65.50 cm (opened page size)
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object type:
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credit line:Purchased 1981
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accession number:GMA 2284.21
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gallery:
Henri Matisse
Henri Matisse
Matisse began taking drawing classes as a way of relieving the boredom of his job as a solicitor's clerk. However, in 1891 he abandoned his legal career in favour of painting, studying at various schools in Paris. In 1905 he exhibited with a number of artists who were dubbed by a critic, Les fauves...