A landmark compendium - the first authoritative publication to cover in its entirety one of the most significant holdings of Matisse in the world. Here is a vibrant celebration - slipcased and beautifully produced - of the Barnes's extraordinary Matisse collection. Composed of fifty-nine works from every stage of the artist's career, it is among the most important in the world.

At its heart are Matisse's most historically significant paintings, Le Bonheur de vivre, also called The Joy of Life, and The Dance, the monumental mural that Albert C. Barnes commissioned to fill the lunettes of the Foundation's main gallery, transforming both the space and the artist's career. An essay by Yve-Alain Bois addresses the evolution of The Dance and its role in Matisse's career; Karen Butler looks at what Barnes thought of Matisse; and Claudine Grammont's considers how and why he collected his work. The artworks themselves, sumptuously reproduced, are the subjects of interpretive analyses that tell the stories of their acquisition and address their critical reception. The book includes major contributions by Barbara Buckley and Jennifer Mass on the artist’s technique and a report on the latest findings on the pigments used in Le Bonheur de vivre.