Solo retrospective of Georges Mathieu showing at Long Museum
"Paris, capitale des Arts," 1965, oil on canvas
"Occision du duc Jehan de Bourgogne," 1957, chrisochrome on canvas
Georges Mathieu (1921-2012) is a key figure in the New School of Paris, and the founder of Lyrical Abstraction.
Mathieu's first retrospective exhibition in China is showing at Long Museum West Bund through October 27.
The exhibition displays the artist's works created over four decades, offering a unique opportunity for viewers to explore Mathieu's prolific body of work and its vigorous and exhilarating celebration of gesture.
Combining violence and virtuosity, his paintings are instantly recognizable for their calligraphic lyricism and exceptional precision. Despite the speed and spontaneity with which they are executed, every stroke is purposeful.
Mathieu grew up in various towns in Northern France and Versailles and studied English at the University of Lille. He began experimenting with painting at the age of 21 after studying languages, literature, law, and philosophy at institutions in France.
"Hommage à Sébastien Venier," 1959, oil on canvas
Mathieu played a decisive role within abstraction during the movement's burgeoning in the late1940s and early 1950s across Europe and the United States. Departing from the geometric abstractions that had dominated the previous era, he developed a visual language that favored form over content and gesture over intent, aiming for uninhibited creative expression. He termed this newfound aesthetic "lyrical abstraction."
Mathieu's works are characterized by a calligraphic quality of line, achieved by using long brushes and applying paint directly from tubes onto the canvas. The immediacy and rapid execution of these methods ensured the freedom that defined his work.
For Mathieu, painting was rhythm, akin to musical improvisation. Some of his paintings from the1950s and 1960s juxtaposed carnal opulence with radical minimalism, a visual language of Zen-like purity. Based on contrasting harmonies of red, white, and black, works such as "Hommage à Louis IX" (1957), on display at the Long Museum, reveal Mathieu's early interest in Far Eastern calligraphy.
If you go:
When: Through October 27 (closed on Mondays) 10am-5:30pm (Tuesday to Thursday), 10am-8pm (Friday to Sunday)
Where: Long Museum West Bund
Address: 3398 Longteng Avenue 龙腾大道3398号
Admission: 260 yuan
