The major writings of Henri Matisse (1869-1954), with the exception of the letters, are collected here along with transcriptions of important interviews and broadcasts given at various stages of Matisse's career. Jack Flam provides a biography, a general introduction that addresses the development of Matisse's aesthetic values and theories, and a critical introduction for each text.

Jack D. Flam is Professor of Art History at Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City College of New York and author of Matisse: The Man and His Art (1986) and Matisse: A Retrospective (1990).