The Unknown Matisse: A Life of Henri Matisse -- The Early Years, 1869-1908, Vol. 1

The art, youth, early maturity, and life of artist Henri Matisse are thoroughly examined in this insightful biography that also includes 24 pages of color reproductions.

The New York Review of Books - Richard Dorment

Any number of artist's biographies follow a familiar trajectory from failure to triumph. What makes Spurling's life unusual is that she has uncovered a secret family history which goes a long way toward explaining the enigma of Matisse. . . Spurling brushes aside all our preconceptions about the painter to reveal a personality -- and a personal history -- none of us had guessed at. . . . This first volume of a full biography of Matisse is a triumph of research and writing, a work of literature worthy of its subject.

Hilary Spurling was born in England and educated at Oxford University. She has been theater critic and literary editor of The Spectator, is now a regular book reviewer for the Daily Telegraph, and has written biographies of Ivy Compton-Burnett and Paul Scott. She lives in London.