Death of Pierre-Louis Mathieu

It is with deep sadness that we have learned of the death of Monsieur Pierre-Louis Mathieu,
on Thursday, May 22, 2025, at the age of 85, and of his wife Françoise Mathieu, who passed away on
May 21, 2025 may 21, 2025.

Eminent art historian, Doctor of Letters and Doctor of Law, Pierre-Louis Mathieu was one of
leading specialists in the work of Gustave Moreau, to whom he devoted most of his
work work. With the help of his wife Françoise, he was the author of the Catalogue raisonné de l'œuvre
complete of the symbolist painter of the Symbolist painter - first published in 1976, revised in 1998 and enriched
with a supplement in a supplement in 2006 -, he also drew up, with Paul Bittler, the first inventory of the 4
830 drawings on display at the Musée National Gustave Moreau, and in 1984, he published an
edition of the artist's writings edition of Écrits de l'artiste, which still sets the standard.

Curator of numerous exhibitions, recognized expert, advisor to collectors,
dealers and institutions since the 1970s, he has made a decisive contribution to the
recognition and knowledge of the artist's work recognition and knowledge of Moreau's work in France and abroad.
In 2024, through the intermediary of his wife, Mr. Mathieu donated to the Gustave
Moreau National Museum his specialized library and his collection of works Moreau of his specialized library and personal archives. This invaluable
invaluable for research, including the documentary files used to
draw up the catalogue raisonné, the catalogue the catalog raisonné, his doctoral thesis defended in 1976 at the University
of Paris Paris 1 (Gustave Moreau. Vie, œuvre et postérité), a repertory of works rejected from the corpus,
a rich iconography, and the catalogue raisonné a rich iconography, as well as all his expert correspondence.

The Musée National Gustave Moreau loses a loyal friend of rare erudition, and a passionate
of the thought and work of the prince of French Symbolist painters.

 

The religious ceremony will take place on Tuesday June 3, 2025 at 2:30 pm, in the Saint-Augustin church in Lyon.
Along with all the museum's teams, we send their families, loved ones and all
those who knew them our most respectful and saddened thoughts.

Charles Villeneuve de Janti
General Curator