MATISSE (Henri) — Sacred Art. Vence - Lot 224

Lot 224
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MATISSE (Henri) — Sacred Art. Vence - Lot 224
MATISSE (Henri) — Sacred Art. Vence [MATISSE (Henri)]. — Sacred Art. Vence. No. 11–12, July–August 1951. [Paris, Éditions de l'Art Sacré], 1951. Quarto, 30 pp., paperback, cover illustrated with a photograph of the large cross in the Chapel of the Rosary of the Dominican Sisters of Vence. Numerous photographic illustrations and black-and-white reproductions of drawings by Matisse. Dimensions approximately 26 × 18 cm. The bibliography by Lucien Hervé and museum collections clearly confirm the existence of this double issue 11–12 from July–August 1951, devoted to Vence. An important issue entirely devoted to the Chapel of the Rosary in Vence, published immediately after its consecration on June 25, 1951. The chapel, designed and decorated by Henri Matisse between 1947–1948 and 1951, is one of the major achievements of the postwar revival of French sacred art. Matisse not only designed the interior but was also closely involved in the entire project: architecture, stained-glass windows, large-scale murals, furnishings, and liturgical vestments. This issue features, in particular, Matisse’s monumental drawings for the Virgin and Child and the Stations of the Cross, views of the chapel’s interior, the studies and cartoons for the liturgical vestments, as well as the famous wrought-iron cross. It thus constitutes a contemporary document of the utmost importance regarding the completion of one of Matisse’s masterpieces. Of particular interest, the issue includes the text of the letter Matisse wrote that was read during the chapel’s blessing, as the artist, who was ill, was unable to attend the ceremony. In it, he describes this project as the culmination of four years of work; the chapel was indeed consecrated on June 25, 1951. The publication is a direct result of the efforts of the Dominicans Marie-Alain Couturier and Pie-Raymond Régamey, editors of *L’Art Sacré*, who advocated for the involvement of major modern artists in religious architecture and played a decisive role in the renewal of sacred art in the postwar period. A copy in its fragile original paperback binding. The interior remains in fairly fresh condition. The cover is very worn, with significant tears and cracks along the spine, missing paper—particularly at the head and foot and along the fore-edge—creases, and marginal wear; the binding is fragile, with several leaves or sections beginning to separate. The cover is in poor condition, but the book is complete and fully usable internally.
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