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VII – The Heart (Le Coeur) from Jazz

1947

Matisse here draws on traditional references to the artistic process and spirit: the heart. The deep-red heart on the right side of the plate stands in opposition to the dense black space on the left. The dominating black form, thought to represent the absence of creativity, threatens to overtake the red heart, the artist’s inspiration.

Artist: Henri Matisse (1869-1954)
Title: VII – The Heart (Le Coeur) from Jazz
Date: 1947
Object Type: Print
Medium: Color pochoir in opaque watercolor on paper
Dimensions: 16 5/8 x 25 5/8 in. (42.228 x 65.088 cm) Frame: 23 7/8 x 33 x 1 1/2 in. (60.643 x 83.82 x 3.81 cm)
Credit Line: Museum purchase, Gift of Margaret and William R. Hearst III
Accession Number: 2024.34.7