Published by Albert Skira with etchings printed by Roger Lacourière, Poésies was Matisse’s first livre d’artiste, bringing together the artist’s minimalist etchings with the writing of French Symbolist poet Stéphane Mallarmé (1842–1898). The artist strove to achieve a balance between text and image, as well as between the black ink and white page. By leaving much of the plate blank, with delicate, slender lines radiating across each sheet of paper, Matisse pushed the boundaries of simplicity to achieve a nevertheless bold and compelling aesthetic.