Matisse and the Subject of Modernism

"This book offers fresh insights and interpretations and uncovers new critical materials while utilizing novel theoretical perspectives. It will be essential reading not only for all scholars of Matisse and of Fauvism and early-twentieth-century art, but also readers with an interest in French cultural history and pre-World War I society. Art historians who seek models for utilizing contemporary criticism and theoretical perspectives in connection with studies of individual works will also find much of value here."--Tamar Garb, University College London"Complex and ambitious, this book will be of great interest to students and scholars of modern art and, more broadly, to anyone interested in revisionist approaches to early twentieth-century culture. It combines high standards of research, sophistication of method, and a sustained commitment to its central thesis: that Matisse's Fauve paintings, routinely considered to be canonical and beautiful, should be appreciated for the subversive challenge they offer to a coherent view of modernism."--John Klein, author of "Matisse Portraits"