Georges Mathieu

Art Valley 88 Gallery, Forte dei Marmi
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Italy, Forte dei Marmi, Art valley 88 Gallery, Mathieu, plate 2, illustrated in colour

The work is in overall good condition. There are drying cracks throughout the black paint areas, however, this is due to the artist's rapid painting process and appears to be stable. Upon close inspection, there are two small specks of paint loss, about 2mm in diameter: one at the thick orange impasto near the centre of the composition, the other located near the orange impasto at the lower left quadrant of the canvas. There are no signs of retouching under UV light inspection.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

“The craftsmanship, the finish, the reliance on Greek ideals, all that is dead. Tensions, density, the unknown, and mystery reign and win in every painting. For the first time in history, painting has become a performance, and you can watch its creation as you might a jam session."
- Georges Mathieu

The 2002 retrospective at the Jeu de Paume museum in Paris renewed critical interest in Georges Mathieu, who is best known for his large-scale abstract paintings of curving, calligraphic lines – often rapidly painted during public performances. Influenced by Wols and Hartung, Mathieu was one of the protagonists and instigators of the European Lyrical Abstraction movement. Mathieu often applied paint directly from tubes onto the canvas and emphasized the necessity of rapid execution; he also championed the performative dimension in painting, executing large canvases before audiences while dressed in costumes. Mathieu undoubtedly occupies a unique position in art history as the pioneer of “happenings” prior to Allan Kaprow’s first art “happening” and Yves Klein’s Anthropometry series.  

In Gutai Group’s 1956 manifesto, the influence of France’s Mathieu and America’s Pollock is clearly acknowledged: “We highly regard the works of [Jackson] Pollock and [Georges] Mathieu. Their work reveals the scream of matter itself, cries of the paint and enamel. These two artists confront matter in a way that aptly corresponds to their individual discoveries. Or rather, they even seem to serve matter. Astonishing effects of differentiation and integration take place.” (Translated by Reiko Tomii, originally published as “Gutai bijutsu sengen,” Geijutsu Shinchō 7, no. 12 (December 1956), pp. 202–04)

The 1970s is Georges Mathieu’s most prolific decade, not only as a painter, but also as an extremely successful graphic and architectural designer. During this time, he created, among other notable items, the fresco at the Maison de La Radio, posters for Air France, the face of the old 10 franc coin, medals and designs for treasury bond notes and the logo for a national television channel, Antenne 2. He became thus the subject of a highly stylized documentary film, Georges Mathieu, or the Fury of Being in 1974. It was during the height of Mathieu’s career when he created our present work, L’Exil du Ciel (The Exile from Heaven). Against a bloodshot sky, large blots of black battle for dominance; their uncontrollable energy is literalized in the vertical dripping marks. At points of contention, thick lines of orange and yellow erupt, as if in flight or in great rapture, just like the fallen angels cast away from the defeat of War in Heaven. "Mathieu is a 'painter of battles', quite literally, because a number of his works refer directly to historical battles, but also because, above all else, he is an artist who considers his paintings as an authentic scene of battle. Each time he paints, a genuine confrontation occurs between himself and his canvas, where rituals of martial art, dance and trance all come together." (Bernard Marcadé, “Pretentious? Moi?” in Tate Etc.,issue 18, January 2010)