JAZZ

Facsimile of the 1947 first edition, produced exclusively for The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Original blue cloth backed grey card portfolio with white title label printed in blue to the upper cover, and titles in silver to the spine, housed in the original stapled card slipcase, as issued. Folio. 156 pages, including faithful reproductions of all 20 plates of collages (16 of which are double page) by Henri Matisse and the artist's hand drawn text, using papers and inks made especially to approximate the original textures and colours of the originals. Exclusive to this Museum of Modern Art's edition is a facsimile of Matisse's illustrated letter to Teriade regarding Jazz which has never before been published in its entirety. A fine copy, the portfolio clean and structurally sound, the contents are entirely complete, and in bright and fresh condition. The plain card slipcase is a touch toned to the edges.

Issued in Paris in 1947 in an edition of 250 copies by the art publisher Teriade, Matisse's 'Jazz' is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful (and expensive) illustrated books of twentieth century. This beautiful facsimile was produced to coincide with the November 1983 exhibition of the original prints given by Matisse to the Museum of Modern Art in 1948.