As a curator, Sandberg held a deep admiration for Matisse as an artist, and it can be assumed that Sandberg, as an artist himself, must have drawn inspiration from the older master. This is evident in Sandberg’s famous paper cuttings, which were created during a period when he was battling an illness. Matisse himself referred to this technique as “painting with scissors.” Could it be possible that Matisse’s cut-outs were the source of inspiration for Sandberg’s use of modeled torn papers in his book designs? These torn pieces of paper, combined with carefully crafted layouts, resulted in highly personal and iconic publications by Sandberg. While there are certainly differences between the two artists’ works, they both existed during the same artistic period, making it plausible that Matisse’s technique influenced Sandberg’s use of paper.
However, the survival of these two types of artworks has been vastly different. Sandberg’s paper publications, printed on paper, have easily lasted for 50 years or more. On the other hand, Matisse’s fragile cut-outs require restoration in order to preserve them for future generations. In the past 10 years, two significant restoration projects have been undertaken. One of these projects was the restoration of Matisse’s large cut-out composition “La Perruche et la Sirène,” from the collection of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. The other was a project at the Beyeler Museum, in which visitors were able to witness the progress of restoring a large canvas titled “Acanthes.” These restored works are now on display at their respective museums, showcasing the true splendor of Matisse’s art.
These accomplishments serve as a testament to why Matisse is widely regarded as one of the greatest artists of the last century. To learn more about these two remarkable artists, visit www.ftn-books.com for a selection of publications. www.ftn-books.com recently added the Picasso Matisse publication from the Stedelijk MUseum to its collection
