Henri Matisse (1869-1954) is one of the leading figures of modern art. His unparalleled cut-outs are among the most significant of any artist's late works. When ill health first prevented Matisse from painting, he began to cut into painted paper with scissors as his primary technique to make maquettes for a number of commissions, from books and stained-glass window designs to tapestries and ceramics. Taking the form of a 'studio diary', this publication re-examines the cut-outs in terms of the methods and materials that Matisse used, and looks at the tensions in the works between finish and process; fine art and decoration; contemplation and utility; and drawing and colour.Accompanying a major touring exhibition in 2014 and 2015, this lavishly illustrated book will include an extensive collection of previously unpublished archival photographs from this period of Matisse's life, from 1943 up to his death in 1954, as well as scholarly texts by leading authorities on the artist. Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs promises to be an extremely special contribution to the Matisse bibliography and will surely become the definitive publication on the cut-outs.Exhibition schedule: Tate Modern, London, 17 April - 7 September 2014, Museum of Modern Art, New York, 19 October 2014 - 10 February 2015