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Georges Mathieu: the vibrant, lively, and powerful art at the Monnaie de Paris

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The Editor

Georges Mathieu, La Bataille de Bouvines, 25 avril 1954 - Collection Centre Pompidou, Paris Musée national d’art moderne, Centre de création industrielle © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Bertrand Prévost/D

Until September 7, 2025, the Monnaie de Paris invites you to rediscover the work of Georges Mathieu. This is the second retrospective dedicated to this unique artist by the institution, and the exhibition immerses you in the distinctive work of the “first Western calligrapher,” in the words of André Malraux.

In the art of sparking curiosity, provoking, grabbing attention, and leaving one speechless, Georges Mathieu hits the mark every time. Whether through his battle paintings, unique medals, or advertising posters for Air France, the artist never stops wanting to stand out, make a statement, and above all, showcase a whole new conception of art, as immediate expression of the subjectivity in which he thrives.


Art as a Battleground

This co-production Monnaie de Paris x Centre Pompidou, which launches the program Constellations beyond its walls, pays tribute to one of the key artists of the 20th century, a leading figure of French abstract expressionism. From the very first room, you are immediately struck by the size of the painter's canvases but also by the raw power that emanates from the works of someone who drew inspiration from the history of France.

to create a living art, full of symbols and a bit of provocation.

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Georges Mathieu, Tribute to Marshal Turenne, January 19, 1952 - Collection Centre Pompidou, Paris National Museum of Modern Art, Centre for Industrial Creation © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Audrey Laurans/Dist. Grand Palais RMN © Adagp, Paris, 2025

Throughout the spaces, the Monnaie de Paris explores all facets of the painter's personality, whose creations are guided solely by a frenzy of gesture and the moment present. Each piece radiates a certain abstraction and a certain ambivalence, whether Mathieu makes bold use of color or when he takes on the challenge of , by subliming white or reducing his gestures to the bare minimum.


An artist who stands out in the French landscape

Through This unique event, the Monnaie de Paris also highlights a collaboration during the artist's lifetime, as Georges Mathieu is behind the design of the 10 franc coin, as well as a series of 18 medals, a very special art that he revolutionizes the codes of. It's a way for the institution to showcase the painter's desire to establish himself in public space by all means and to break away from "traditional" art.

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Georges Mathieu, Piéfort 10 francs, 1979 - Historical collections of the Monnaie de Paris © Monnaie de Paris © Adagp, Paris, 2025

Posters of advertisements, statuettes of the 7 d'or (the César awards for television), stamps, furniture, coins, and even the logo of the Antenne 2 channel, Mathieu continuously strived to invest in all aspects of the life of the French to share his art with the largest audience. Thanks to archival videos and over 125 works and archives, the museum immerses us in the fascinating creative process of the artist.


Georges Mathieu, a pioneer of street art ?

And as good news never comes alone, alongside the retrospective, the Monnaie de Paris invites you to discover the exhibitionGraffiti X Georges Mathieu. To do this, the institution invited 6 big names in street art to engage in a dialogue with the works of the painter, whose techniques and speed of execution are quite similar to the practices of urban art. In solo or duo, Lek, Sowat, Nassyo, Camille Gendron & Matt Zerfa, and JonOne are literally transforming the walls of the institution to create an absolutely striking parallel between eras, generations, and forms of art.

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View of the Graffiti x Georges Mathieu exhibition © Didier Plowy

Georges Mathieu. Gesture, Speed, Movement
Monnaie de Paris
11, quai de Conti – 6th
Until September 7, 2025
More info