Georges Mathieu : Un Héros De L'art Abstrait En Vendée

Exhibition at the Historial de la Vendée, Les Lucs-sur-Boulogne, 18 November 2022 - 21 May 2023

In the heart of the southern Vendée, in Fontenay-le-Comte, stands the only factory ever designed by an artist: the Usine Étoile. Commissioned by the industrialist Guy Biraud from the painter Georges Mathieu (1921-2012), leader of lyrical abstraction, precursor of action painting and inspiration for street art, this factory is a veritable relief painting of 20,000 m2, which bears witness to the spirit and plastic intentions of the man who created it.

This catalogue of the exhibition organised on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Usine Étoile shows the richness and variety of Mathieu's work. The book, which presents 170 works from the collections of 14 lenders, including the Centre Pompidou, the Monnaie de Paris, the Musée de la Poste and the Comité Georges Mathieu, is divided into three sections: the first is devoted to 9 major paintings, including the famous and monumental Bataille de Bouvines (2.50 m x 6 m) from 1954, the second to the history of the design of the Usine Étoile, and the third presents many of Mathieu's applied artworks, including the tapestry Hommage à Nicolas Fouquet from 1967, as well as sculptures, posters, stamps and medals.