Salmon, Matisse and the Taste for Chiffon

Just read an interesting essay (which, sadly, I did not write) that offers an intriguing aside to the current Matisse: The Fabric of Dreams - His Art and His Textiles exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Beth Gersh-Nesic, who runs the New York Arts Exchange website and is an author specializing in André Salmon, lets us in on a little (prophetic, as things turn out) millinery sarcasm that Salmon directed at Matisse, way back when in 1912. Matisse aside - honestly adore him, but he truly doesn't need more promotion - it was lovely to see André Salmon's name come up. He gave me a big thrill, many years ago as a student, because he was the first art critic I ever encountered who seemed to (1) identify with artists and (2) understand the creative process. (I'd love to interject here that Things Have Changed and nowadays tons of art critics write as if they like artists, but it surely doesn't read that way to me.) Thank you, Beth, for both the review and the nugget of Paris Scene gossip. Fun!