245 - Henri Matisse - Pierre Ronsard. *Florilège des Amours*. Paris, Albert Skira, 1948. With 128 sepia lithographs, two of which are on the cover. Loose double sheets in the original illustrated cover, slipcase, and slip jacket.

Henri Matisse - Pierre Ronsard. *Florilège des Amours*. Paris, Albert Skira, 1948. With 128 sepia lithographs, two of which are on the cover. Loose double sheets in the original illustrated cover, slipcase, and slip jacket. Call time: approx. 3:13 p.m. (schedule subject to change) One of 250 copies (total print run 320). - Signed by the artist and publisher in the colophon. - Printed on Arches vellum. - In 1941, Henri Matisse began collaborating with the publisher Skira on the “Florilège” project, which took seven years to complete. The delay was due to difficulties in general during the war and, in particular, with the typefaces. - Pierre de Ronsard (1524–1585), one of the most significant French poets of his time, was later largely forgotten. The carefully selected sonnets on courtly love, with their lush depictions of nature and the rich metaphors drawn from mythology and the natural world with which he described love and the female form, inspired Matisse to create playful depictions of idyllic nature and femininity. His illustrations underscore the grace and charm of Ronsard’s poetry. Duthuit/Garnaud 25. - Monod 9909. - Rauch 173. - A&B 201 39.0 : 29.5 cm. 185, [5] pages. - Slipcase with a slight tear at the edge; spine of the chemise heavily faded. - Cover and some pages have slight foxing along the edges; 2 pages have larger stains. English description: Includes 128 sepia lithographs, 2 on the cover. Loose double sheets in an illustrated original wrapper, together in an original chemise and slipcase. One of 250 copies (total print run of 320). - Signed by the artist and publisher in the colophon. - Printed on Arches vellum. - Pierre de Ronsard (1524–1585), one of the most significant French poets of his time, was later largely forgotten. The carefully selected sonnets on courtly love—with their lush depictions of nature and the rich metaphors drawn from mythology and the natural world with which he described love and the female form—inspired Matisse to create playful depictions of idyllic nature and femininity. His illustrations highlight the grace and charm of Ronsard’s poetry. - “Skira has documented the difficulties that plagued the publication of this book for seven years. In 1941, in the south of France, Matisse told Skira of his desire to illustrate Ronsard with about thirty lithographs. The publisher, who had released Matisse’s splendid Mallarmé nine years earlier, was eager to move forward. Due to the war, production began in Zurich, where the artist spent several months working on preliminary sketches and the layout. A trial print revealed that the typeface was unsuitable, so the pages were reset using an old Caslon typeface from the printer Kundig in Geneva. By 1945, Matisse had completed his drawings, which now numbered one hundred twenty-six instead of the thirty he had originally planned. With the war over, production was transferred to Paris, but was soon halted by two setbacks: the old type was no longer usable, and the paper had yellowed. Finally, at the Haas Foundry in Basel, the original Caslon punches were located, from which new type was cut, and a slightly tinted Arches paper was obtained. It was not until 1948 that the book was completed (slightly delayed once more while Matisse perfected the design of the slipcase). Despite these vicissitudes, the precision and care exercised over seven years are evident in the combination of delicacy, strength, and spaciousness.« (Eleanor M. Garvey) Slipcase with a narrow border; the spine of the chemise is heavily faded. - The cover and some pages have slight foxing along the edges; 2 pages have larger stains.