Henri Matisse was a founding figure of modern painting and one of the most celebrated artists of the twentieth century. This book, part of the MoMA Artist Series, features eleven paintings, sculptures, and works on paper by Matisse selected from The Museum of Modern Art's substantial collection of his work. His breakthrough Fauvist painting La Japonaise is here, along with such well-known works as Dance (I), The Red Studio, and The Piano Lesson. Important examples of Matisse's sculpture are included among the paintings, leading to the paper cutouts of his final years. Vivid images and a lively essay accompany each work, illuminating its significance and placing it in its historical moment and in the development of modern art and in Matisse's own life.