Robert Mathieu : Rational Lightings / Luminaires Rationnels

AVAILABLE FROM 15 FEBRUARY 2023

Robert Mathieu (1921-2022) trained in bronze turning at the Ecole Boulle and was one of the most talented lighting designers and producers of the 1950s. He created some of the most exceptional lighting fixtures of his generation.

After the emergency of the post-war reconstruction, a whole housing economy was re-established in France around the great French tradition of decoration and furniture. A young generation from the grandes écoles set up the foundations of what we now call design, i.e. creation at the service of mass production. Robert Mathieu accompanied them with his infinite creativity and perfect technical skills. He conceived of articulated luminaires to light each function of the modern flat, brilliantly manipulating asymmetry, and his double balance systems remain unique in the world.

Both scientific and aesthetic, this first monograph devoted to Robert Mathieu traces the life and work of the artist through a biography, a critical analysis, a portfolio and a catalogue of works, thus shedding light on the golden period of French decorative arts during the Trente Glorieuses. The book is a natural complement to the two retrospective exhibitions organised by the Pascal Cuisiner Gallery in 2021 to mark the artist's centenary.