Henri Matisse (1869-1954) began experimenting with découpage after a surgery for cancer left him a semi-invalid in 1941. He said of the process, "paper cutouts allow me to draw with color" and combined cut paper and gouache in abstract and vibrant works. Matisse created Jazz with about 100 limited-edition prints of his circus-themed cutouts. The Toboggan is a particularly dynamic work in Jazz and Matisse said of it, "He who loves, flies, runs, and rejoices; he is free and nothing holds him back."
(John Elderfield, "The drawings of Henri Matisse," Thames and Hudson, 1984; Greg Kucera, "Essay on Henri Matisse, Jazz Prints" http://www.gregkucera.com/gallery.htm)
