Georges Mathieu (1921-2012) - Composition en Blue et Rouge / Abstraction Lyrique

Georges Mathieu (1921–2012)

Original drawing – Abstraction Lyrique, circa 1970

A particularly powerful and visually impressive original drawing by Georges Mathieu, one of the leading representatives of post-war European abstraction and a pioneer of Abstraction Lyrique.

Executed in black, blue and red ink on paper, the composition displays Mathieu’s unmistakable calligraphic visual language. Fast, swirling lines, dense networks of intersecting strokes and almost architectural structures alternate with spontaneous, freely drawn gestures. The intense black and electric blue forms dominate the composition, while the red accents create both depth and movement.

The drawing is an excellent example of Mathieu’s ability to make the physical act of drawing itself the subject of the artwork. There is no conventionally prepared composition: line, speed, rhythm and gesture determine the image. Of particular character is the contrast between the dense, almost raster-like passages and the extraordinarily light, swirling lines that extend into the surrounding space.

Stylistically, the work can be placed around the late 1960s and early 1970s, a period in which Mathieu increasingly combined his famous spontaneous calligraphy with more structured and architectural forms.

The work is signed and personally dedicated by Georges Mathieu in red at the bottom right.

The drawing is executed on a page taken from a printed brochure, which has been transformed by Mathieu’s substantial original intervention into an autonomous artwork on paper.

Georges Mathieu belonged to the leading protagonists of Abstraction Lyrique, the European counterpart to American abstract expressionism. His radical emphasis on speed, spontaneity and the physical gesture of painting made him one of the most recognizable representatives of post-war French abstract art.

An remarkably energetic and decorative work, with an exceptionally rich composition and the immediacy for which Mathieu’s drawings are particularly valued.

The authenticity of the work is fully guaranteed by the seller. Upon request and at the buyer’s expense, the work can be presented to the Comité Georges Mathieu for the issuance of a certificate of authenticity.