"In the interwar years, in burgeoning Montparnasse, artists searched relentlessly to capture the image reflected by the human face. Each in his own fashion sought to reconstruct, in compelling portraits, human representation: Matisse and Chagall set their paintings ablaze with pure colour, Soutine deployed naked expressiveness, while Picasso chose the road of deconstruction." "Each asserted his individual personality, yet all in unison. This creative individuality inspired freedom, a freedom which was to imbue Montparnasse with a unique atmosphere and astound the visitors who flocked from the world over to discover its magic."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved