Random Things Tours: Madame Matisse by Sophie Haydock

 

Matisse is one of the modern artists I find the most inspiring, but until reading Madame Matisse by Sophie Haydock, I had no idea about the important women of his life. I am really thankful lately for so many books focused on the women characters from the life of famous personalities, from Einstein to Mahler. It is still so much to document and write about, in order to change and challenge the official narratives regarding women´s roles in histories of all kinds.

A book with passionate characters, not only about their art, Madame Matisse is based on a true story, is a story of betrayal and genuine passion, set in the tumultous world of the tumultous 1930s in France, especially the French Riviera. 

Amélie, Matisse´s faithful wife, Marguerite, his eldest daughter and Lydia, a Russian immigrant who may find a place in his atelier and incidentally in his life. Each woman may nurture at certain extents his imagination, in their different ways. Women who may have their own inimities and experience betrayal and disappointment, however hard to abandon the man they adore or are just fascinated with. The game of passions and intentions between the characters balances or just escalates the tensions in the story.

Well documented both regarding the history as well as the art history, and written with passion, Madame Matisse is a recommended book to anyone in love with arts and literature. In this book, the words and the images are dancing together creating an unforgettable story.

A special mention for the beautiful cover, that promises a world of magic in the Matisse sense, a promise that the content of the book also delivers beautifully.