The subtitle Hilary Spurling has given to the second half of her biography of Henri Matisse is upbeat and triumphant, in line with orthodox interpretations of the painter's career: 'The Conquest of Colour'. To place the volume still more squarely in line with exhibition-poster stereotypes, she has capped that with 'Matisse the Master'. These labels are deceptive. They seem to be pasted over some more appropriate tag for the biographical material to hand: one that should probably read along the lines of 'the long anguish', or maybe '84 years of acute discomfort'. 'Unremitting angst' wouldn't quite catch the tone: that would suggest something rather more spiritualised and philosophically pitched.

LRB 23 February 2006 | PDF Download