Jean Michel Mathieux-Marie - prints and biography

Biography (≈400 words)
Jean-Michel Mathieux-Marie (b. 1936, Paris) is a French painter and printmaker acclaimed for his haunting architectural etchings. Educated at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris, he studied painting, engraving, and architecture—disciplines that converge in his distinctive vision. His works often present vast, uninhabited structures—corridors, colonnades, archways, and expansive courtyards—rendered in precise line and delicate tonal gradations. Though devoid of human presence, these spaces carry a palpable atmosphere, like abandoned stages imbued with memory and quiet anticipation.

Mathieux-Marie’s artistic lineage draws inspiration from the metaphysical stillness of Giorgio de Chirico and the fantastical architectural visions of Piranesi. Yet his style is unmistakably his own, marked by restraint, elegance, and an extraordinary command of light. Diffuse illumination and angled shadows imbue his works with a near-sacred stillness, creating timeless compositions that speak as much to emotion and philosophy as to place.

In addition to his prints, Mathieux-Marie is renowned for his book illustrations, particularly of literary classics and poetry. His etchings serve as interpretive companions to text, amplifying symbolic meaning and emotional resonance rather than offering direct depiction. This poetic approach makes him a gifted visual interpreter of literature, able to translate words into layered imagery.

Throughout his career, he has received significant recognition. In 1984 he was awarded both the Prix de la Ville at the Salon de Bayeux and the Paul-Louis Weiller Prize by the Academy of Fine Art. A decade later, in 1994, he received the Grand Prize at the Salon des Artistes Français. His work has been shown in numerous exhibitions across France and Europe, establishing his reputation as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary French printmaking.

Selected Exhibitions
– 1997, Gallery Kieffer, Paris
– 1994, Galery Horizon, Paris
– 1993, Gallery Breheret, Paris
– 1993, Musée Baron Gérard, Bayeux
– 1992, Hôtel de Ville, Port-en-Bessin
– 1992, Gallery Michelle Broutta, Paris
– 1991, Gallery Etienne de Causans, Paris
– 1990, Gallery Actuaryus, Strasbourg
– 1990, Gallery l’Angle aigu, Brussels
– 1990, Gallery Vermeer, Nantes

Public Collections
Royal Academy of Fine Art, Madrid; Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris; Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris; Musée Baron Gérard; National Library of Spain; Musée de Digne; Bibliothèque de Bayeux.

Through his poetic exploration of architecture and silence, Jean-Michel Mathieux-Marie continues to shape a body of work that bridges history, imagination, and timeless reflection.