Seething passion and scandal are absent from most accounts of Henri Matisse, says Sophie Haydock, author of Madame Matisse. Yet, after four decades of devoted marriage, his wife issued an ultimatum that changed everything. Here Sophie writes about the three woman in Matisse’s life.
Henri Matisse was 69 years old when his wife, Amélie – a woman he’d been married to for 41 years, who had borne him two sons and taken on responsibility for his illegitimate daughter, Marguerite, helping propel the wayward artist to fame in the process – delivered an ultimatum.
“It’s her or me,” she said in a fit of rage in their sun-kissed Nice apartment. In the past, the elderly French artist had been able to mollify her. But this time, Amélie meant it.
The woman who had caused the earthquake in the Matisse marriage in 1939 was Lydia Delectorskaya, aged 29 – an orphaned Russian émigré who had fled to Paris to study medicine, but couldn’t afford the high fees, and ended up on the French Riviera, penniless and alone.
She found refuge with the Matisses at No 1 Place Charles Félix, hired as a companion for Amélie, who was practically bedbound after years of chronic illness. It took a long time for Henri to notice the self-effacing nurse – the woman who cheered Amélie’s dark moods and lightened her household load.
But after three years, Henri did notice Lydia daydreaming – her arms folded, her eyes soft. He captured the young woman – who he called an ‘ice princess’, thanks to her pale skin and blonde hair – in quick pencil lines in his notebook.
After that, he found a new burst of inspiration and returned to oil painting, with Lydia as his muse. She became central to his creativity – an efficient assistant to his art and a confidante.
This was a betrayal too far for Amélie, who had sacrificed so much so that her husband’s fortunes could prosper. She had helped his transformation from ‘idiotic young fool’ – a man in his 20s with no prospects in art – to one of the greatest artists of the 20th century.
What followed was an event so charged with passion and despair that its reverberations would be felt for decades. I won’t spoil the shocking fallout of Amélie’s ultimatum, but it was violent – reshaping their lives in ways they could never have foreseen. I explore the shattering of these relationships in my novel, Madame Matisse.
It’s a story, drawn from the facts, that has rarely been written about before – if not hidden from the history books, then certainly downplayed. When I came across it in my research, I was astounded.
I feel that a persona has been cultivated around Matisse, his legacy carefully crafted while he was alive and after his death – of him as a simple, almost boring man. He presented himself as unassuming, in circular-framed spectacles and tweed jackets. I was stunned that all this seething passion (and scandal) was absent from the conversation.
Madame Matisse brings to life the untold stories of the women who shaped the artist’s genius. Through the eyes of Amélie, Lydia, and Matisse’s daughter, Marguerite, it explores the emotional landscapes behind the masterpieces, revealing the sacrifices made in the pursuit of artistic immortality. These women profoundly shaped the artist’s life and work.
Yet, over time, the Matisse legacy has overshadowed their contributions, their turmoil forgotten. My new novel is an attempt to reclaim their voices.
The woman behind the artist
Amélie Matisse (née Parayre) was not merely the wife of a great painter – she was his business manager, confidante, and fiercest champion. She stood by him through financial struggles, critical indifference, and the early rejection of his radical artistic vision. For four decades, she was the steady force behind his rise to international acclaim.
Yet, despite her devotion, their marriage came under unbearable strain when Matisse’s professional and personal relationships with his models became increasingly intimate.
Throughout his career, Matisse relied on a succession of female muses who were far more than passive figures on a canvas. Each brought something unique to his work – the intensity of their gaze, the curve of their posture, the energy of their presence. Did these relationships extend beyond the professional, blurring the boundaries between art and intimacy?
The most significant of these women was Lydia. By the early 1930s, she was not only posing for his most celebrated late works but also running his household. She became indispensable. Their connection was deep, creative – and, for Amélie, intolerable.
The breaking point
In 1939, after years of tensions simmering beneath the surface, Amélie reached her breaking point. She issued her ultimatum – Lydia had to leave, or she would. The repercussions were devastating. Their adult children were caught in the fallout. Marguerite, who had been raised by Amélie as her own, found herself torn between loyalty and love. She adored her father but could not ignore the pain inflicted on the woman who had been her steadfast mother.
Amidst this emotional turmoil, Marguerite was also fighting a greater battle – as an active member of the French Resistance, she risked her life daily. Her father’s artistic world of colour and composition must have seemed an eternity away from the grim realities of war and survival.
Love and art
The story of Matisse’s ultimatum is not just one of personal heartbreak but of an artist’s unwavering commitment to his creative process. Did he choose art over love? Or was art his truest love all along? The answer is complex.
We do know is that in the years that followed, he experienced an astonishing creative resurgence – producing some of the most innovative and celebrated works of his career, including his monumental Cut-Outs, a technique that would redefine his legacy.
A novel perspective
Behind every great artist is a web of complex, untold stories waiting to be uncovered. I discovered this with my debut, The Flames, which explored the fiery lives of the four muses who posed for the scandalous Austrian artist Egon Schiele in Vienna.
And now as Madame Matisse reaches publication, it feels timely to illuminate once more another pivotal, highly charged, and deeply emotional moment – a story long overshadowed by Matisse’s artistic achievements. The history books may paint Matisse as a solitary genius, but the truth is far richer – and far more human.
Madame Matisse by Sophie Haydock is published on 6 March, 2025.
Find out more about this book.
Bibliography
The Unknown Matisse by Hilary Spurling
Matisse the Master by Hilary Spurling
A Journey Into Matisse’s South of France by Laura McPhee
Cut Out by Michèle Roberts
Read Sophies feature about Schiele and one of his muses at Honouring Adele, Egon Schiele’s muse.
You may also be interested in Dora Maar: much more than a muse by Louisa Treger and Writing Mrs Whistler by Matthew Plampin
Images (all by Matisse):
- Femme au chapeau (Woman with a hat), a portrait of Amélie, 1905: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art via Wikimedia (public domain)
- La famille du peintre, 1911: Hermitage via Wikimedia (public domain)
- Lydia Delectorskaya, 1947: Dennis Jarvis for Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
- Portrait of Madame Matisse (the Green Line), 1905: Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen, via Wikimedia (public domain)
- Portrait de Marguerite, 1906: Musée Picasso, Paris, via Wikimedia (public domain)
