MATISSE, Henri. Poemes de Charles d'Orleans. Hand-written and illustrated by Matisse. Folio, loose in original illustrated wrappers, preserved in a grey cloth folding cardboard chemise and matching slipcase, in a cloth folding box. Paris: Verve, 1950.

One of Matisse's happiest books, bursting with spontaneity and life. Matisse was moved by these late medieval ballads and rondeaux and reverently copied them in his flowing hand, surrounding them with arabasques and filling the pages with fleur de lys. All of this was done with coloured pencil following the suggestion of Andre Rouveyre. Rouveyre had been inspired by Matisse's letters to him, done in a similar style. "Maybe you could plan to choose only the 15 or 20 prettiest pieces and tackle then [sic] with letter drawings ... a group or series where everything would be done by your hand, without the slightest printerly contribution of typographic characters. Of the sort which flows in a spontaneous gush on your envelopes" (Rouveyre, quoted in Duthuit). The book's optimism is remarkable considering that Matisse was making it while he was infirm. Despite the large edition (1230 copies), it is now quite hard to find. Signed by Matisse on the colophon.

Duthuit 28. The Artist and the Book 202.