Matisse / Diebenkorn

This sumptuously illustrated book brings together the work of Henri Matisse and Richard Diebenkorn as never before, illuminating unexpected resonances that connect the two artists across time and space. Featuring stunning pairings of more than 80 paintings and drawings, this book charts the evolution of Matisse’s impact on Diebenkorn over the course of Diebenkorn’s career. Though they never met, Matisse was an enduring source of inspiration for the Californian artist, and their works share surprising similarities in subject, composition, palette, and technique. Essays by Janet Bishop and Katherine Rothkopf explore how this influence evolved over time, connecting the work of the two painters and highlighting the ways Diebenkorn drew from Matisse’s example to forge a style entirely his own. The volume is rounded out by an introduction by John Elderfield, who knew Diebenkorn personally and has curated exhibitions of both artists’ work; an essay by Jodi Roberts on parallels between the artists’ drawings; and a bibliography documenting Diebenkorn’s collection of books about the French artist. The first in-depth examination of the relationship between the work of Diebenkorn and Matisse, this publication offers new ways of understanding both artists.