Georges Mathieu

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French

Born in 1921, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France.

Died in 2012, Paris, France, aged 91.

He spent most of his life in France, particularly in Paris, where he was an integral figure in the post-war avant-garde art scene. He also briefly lived and worked in New York during the 1950s, where his style was influenced by Abstract Expressionism and his interactions with American artists.

Typical Subject Matter:

Georges Mathieu was primarily known for his abstract painting, often characterized by dynamic gestures and spontaneous brushstrokes. He was one of the prominent figures in Lyrical Abstraction, a movement that emerged in the post-World War II period in Europe.

Mathieu's paintings often conveyed a sense of energy and motion, with bold, swirling lines and dramatic gestures.

In the later years of his career, Mathieu also engaged in creating monumental works and explored calligraphy and symbolism, often inspired by Asian art and philosophy. He was interested in the concept of writing as art, using abstract marks and signs that resembled ancient scripts or calligraphic symbols.

Typical Style:

Georges Mathieu is renowned for his contribution to the development of Lyrical Abstraction, often being considered one of the leading French exponents of action painting. His style is marked by gestural brushstrokes, vigorous application of paint, and an overall spontaneity that reflects the artist's emotional expression.

Visually, his works are characterized by chaotic yet controlled brushstrokes, explosive bursts of colour, and energetic lines that seem to be in constant movement. His compositions often appear to be the result of a momentary inspiration, created through the artist’s impulsive actions. The intense black and white contrasts in some of his works evoke a sense of tension and drama, while his use of vivid colours in others brings an element of dynamic harmony.

Mathieu's works are also notable for their large scale and bold execution. In addition, in some of his most famous works, he employed a technique similar to drip painting, where the paint was thrown or poured onto the canvas.

Typical Material and Media:

Mathieu mostly worked with oil and acrylics, applying them directly onto canvas, though he also worked on paper and occasionally on wood for specific pieces.

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