vintage Matisse art book "florilege des amours de ronsard"

The publication of this illustrated book was Matisse’s idea; he approached the publisher Albert Skira with the concept of the illustrated anthology in 1941. The ‘florilège’, or ‘bouquet’, refers to a compilation of love poems; these poems were curated into a collection where each sonnet is itself a “flower”. Matisse was deeply inspired by the poems, and worked closely with Skira for 7 years, perfecting every aspect of the book. As such, “Florilège” holds a special place in Matisse’s oeuvre.

"Florilège des Amours de Ronsard" is composed of selected poems by the French Renaissance poet Pierre de Ronsard. Ronsard was a prominent poet of the 16th century and a key figure in the "Pléiade" literary movement in France. Ronsard's poetry is known for its lyrical and romantic themes, and he played a significant role in the development of French poetry during the Renaissance.

Illustrations in the book were created by Henri Matisse especially for this publication.

Édition 1993, imprimé en Suisse.

Sourced from an estate in Aix-en-Provence. 

dimensions: 9.25"W x 10.75"L x .5"D