Elie MESSAGIER
JEAN MESSAGIER, LIFE AND WORK
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Les vandoises en fête, June 1964, Oil on canvas, 65 x 159.3 cm, Private collection © photo Studio François Vézien © archives of expert Élie Messagier
The Expert
Expert Élie Messagier, © photo Zélie Noreda - © expert's archives
Grandson of Jean Messagier, Elie Messagier grew up a few steps from his grandfather's studio, where he spent much of his childhood until the artist's death in 1999.
Receptive from an early age to his sensitive and pantheistic approach to the world, he had the privilege of being present at his side during his creative process and even assisted him on numerous occasions in his work, particularly in the creation of "gels" on paper.
In 2015, he decided to acquire his house in the Doubs, a gem of modern architecture designed by architect Jean-Louis Véret, a student of Le Corbusier.
Since 2020, he has devoted himself fully to the research, identification, documentation, and authentication of Jean Messagier's work, conducting in-depth work to highlight his entire production within a rigorous methodological framework.
His work consists of supporting and facilitating the research, conservation, and dissemination of Jean Messagier's works, through the development of the Catalogue Raisonné and the publication of monographs and various works, as well as through any initiative to promote the artist and preserve his artistic legacy.
Elie Messagier strives to foster the growth of Jean Messagier's reputation both nationally and internationally, while contributing to the dissemination of knowledge of his work through contact with institutions, galleries, collectors, and auction houses.
The Artist
The artist, Jean Messagier, in his Paris apartment, 8 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 1961 © photo studio Yves Hervochon, © expert's archives
A prolific artist, Jean Messagier (1920-1999) distinguished himself as an abstract painter associated with the Second School of Paris and Lyrical Abstraction.
Refusing to confine himself to a fixed categorization between abstraction and figuration, he cultivated a singular artistic language that quickly opened the doors to the American art scene, where he gained international recognition.
He crossed paths and formed friendships with many artists of his generation such as Jean Degottex, André Marfaing, Geneviève Asse, Paul Rebeyrolle, Roger-Edgar Gillet, and Pierre Alechinsky, as well as from the previous generation such as Bram van Velde, Serge Poliakoff, and Charles Lapicque.
Associated with gestural abstraction, he notably painted nature and his presence within nature.
His main sources of inspiration were valleys, rivers and water imagery, spring, the scent of flowers, and frost and its transformations.
A committed artist, Messagier also explored engraving and sculpture, affirming his versatility and passion for perpetual research.
His works are now part of the permanent collections of prestigious museums in Europe and the United States, such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Maeght Foundation, and more recently the Centre Pompidou.
The Mill of the Messagiers
The Mill © Véra Cardot and Pierre Joly
Located near the crossroads where the roads from Héricourt, Montbéliard, and Besançon meet, the Messagiers' house-studio is a true work of art isolated from the village of Lougres and Colombier-Fontaine on the other bank of the Doubs. It was the house-studio of the artist and his wife, ceramist Marcelle Baumann-Messagier; it is now that of their grandson and expert, Elie Messagier.
Designed by architect friend Jean-Louis Véret in 1962, its roof is reminiscent of the painter's dynamic gesture. Breaking with the clear forms of Le Corbusier's purist geometries, its form reintroduces into the formal asceticism of the architectural avant-garde a path that does not disdain lyricism.
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Authentication and Catalogue Raisonné of Jean Messagier's Work:
For the inclusion of a work by Jean Messagier in the Catalogue Raisonné and to obtain a certificate of authenticity, please contact the designated expert at this address: eliemessagier@gmail.comBibliography
In preparation by Élie Messagier: The Catalogue Raisonné of Jean Messagier's Work
Contact
Elie MESSAGIER
7 rue des 3 Cantons
Les 3 Cantons "Le Moulin"
25260 Lougres
+33 (0)6 86 48 74 55
eliemessagier@gmail.com
http://www.jeanmessagier.com
[UFE number : 510]
