Le lanceur de couteaux, from Jazz, 1947

Original pochoir on Arches wove paper. - Edition:100 ex. without centerfold in the plates. Next to the regular edition of 250 copies with center fold. - Printed by Edmond Vaireland, Draeger Frères, Paris - Published by Teriade, Paris - In excellent condition. One small restored tear (1 cm) and crease in the upper left corner and some faint discoloration spots. - Claude Duthuit, Henri Matisse: catalogue raisonné des ouvrages illustrés, Paris, 1988, no. 22, pp. 177 (illustrated in color) Le lanceur de couteaux (The Knife Thrower) from Jazz (1947) by Henri Matisse exemplifies the artist’s late-career mastery of the pochoir technique. Using bold, organic cut-out forms in vibrant magenta, lavender, cobalt, and black, Matisse arranges silhouettes that suggest motion and duality—likely representing both the knife thrower and the target. The composition plays with symmetry and negative space, using stylized leaf-like shapes to create visual rhythm. Published by Tériade and printed by Draeger Frères, this pochoir was part of a rare edition of 100 impressions issued without the centerfold, unlike the standard version. Originally conceived as part of the Jazz portfolio—a landmark artist’s book—this work reflects Matisse’s interest in theatrical themes and the dynamism of performance. The poetic abstraction and color harmonies evoke joy, tension, and spectacle through visual metaphor, making it one of the most iconic images from Jazz.