Matisse at War: Art and Resistance in Nazi Occupied France

Matisse at War: Art and Resistance in Nazi Occupied France

by Christopher C. Gorham

4.4 (113)

4.4 stars from 113 reviews

347 pages~5.8 hr readPublished by Citadel PressPublished 2025-09-30

$3.99KU73% off peak

Last checked: Apr 24, 2026

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Fans of these authors will like this...

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Perfect for you if...

  • You love WWII history that goes beyond the battlefield and explores how artists and thinkers resisted through their work.
  • You're fascinated by biographical narratives where personal struggle and historical events become inseparable.
  • You appreciate books that show how creativity itself can be an act of defiance.

Maybe not for you if...

  • You want a straightforward art history text rather than a narrative weaving personal drama with historical events.
  • You're looking for detailed accounts of military strategy or large-scale Resistance operations rather than intimate family stories.
  • You prefer fiction to carefully researched biographical storytelling.

About this book

During World War II, Henri Matisse and his family remained in Nazi-occupied France rather than evacuate. This book examines their involvement in the Resistance and the artistic work Matisse created during this period. In 1940, as Nazi forces advanced through France, Matisse faced personal and artistic crisis: his 42-year marriage had ended and he was seriously ill. He settled in Nice with his companion, Lydia Delectorskaya. While remaining in France, Matisse became a source of inspiration for his nation. His family members actively resisted the occupation: his son Jean engaged in sabotage with the Allies, his estranged wife Amélie worked for the Communist underground in Paris, his daughter Marguerite was arrested and tortured by the Gestapo before being sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp (from which she escaped when Allied bombs halted her transport), his younger son Pierre helped Jewish artists reach New York, and his teenage grandson defied German and Vichy forces. During the war, Matisse developed a new paper-cutting technique that produced iconic works including The Fall of Icarus, a profile of Charles De Gaulle, Monsieur Loyal, and the cut-out book Jazz. These wartime pieces served as acts of resistance, subtly patriotic and formally innovative. Drawing on letters and other sources, this account reveals Matisse's reinvention during this period and his creation of significant work amid wartime suffering.

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Free$7.27$14.54Mar '25Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26
$1.69$14.54

Currently on sale at $3.99 — 73% off peak. Price has dropped 3 times over the last 14 months. Goes on sale roughly every 35 days. Typically stays discounted for 32 days.

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#215#597,674#1,195,133Jun '25Dec '25Feb '26Apr '26

Currently around #13K in the Kindle store — a steady mid-list seller. Sales have softened 53% recently.

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2.5★3.8★5.0★Nov '25Jan '26Mar '26Apr '26RatingReviews

Currently 4.4★ from 113 reviews

Gaining approximately 20 new reviews per month. Rating has climbed from 3.0 to 4.4. Recent readers are rating it higher.

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Free$7.27$14.54Mar '25Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26PredictedApr '26

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Christopher C. Gorham

1 book on Vagrant Press

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