Matisse: The Life condenses into one shorter volume Hilary Spurling's two longer biographies of the flamboyant painter, The Unknown Matisse, which described his early life, and Matisse The Master: The Conquest of Colour 1909-1954. This new book is, she writes, the "short, sharp, clear portrait I should have liked to write in the first place". Spurling's biographies of the artist have received considerable acclaim, with Matisse the Master winning Whitbread book of the year in 2005. This is partly because, somewhat amazingly, these books constitute the first biography of the artist. This, combined with thorough research from private papers, means that Spurling's work has cut through much of the guesswork over Matisse's life. Written in clear, straightforward prose, it tells the story of the seed-merchant's son who shocked his father by becoming an artist; of the scandals and difficulties which shaped his life; and of the people who supported and inspired him to move from Flemish grey to pioneering Mediterranean colourist extraordinaire.