Tangier in the Rain

"Recounting Matisse’s two visits to Tangier, Morocco, between 1912 and 1913, this sumptuous graphic novel belies a mordant critique – by showing how the French master perceives the North African landscape as a place to be exploited aesthetically, rather than a country with its complex truths. Since it rains almost nonstop during his initial trip, Matisse has to find ways to reconcile with the intemperate environment. Tangier in the Rain comically illustrates Matisse’s dependence on so-called secondary characters, such as Madame Matisse, his headstrong model Zorah and local Moroccans, who greatly contribute to Matisse’s artistic vision but are not adequately credited by posterity."