The gallery has an important collection of Jean Messagier's works of paper, many of prints were edited by Jacques Putman between 1967 and 1992.
« In fact, I wanted to engrave because I knew very well that I couldn't obtain this hustle and bustle with painting, I wouldn't get this incredible pleasure the line provides. »
Jean Messagier, Les estampes et les sculptures 1945-1974, Yves Rivière, Arts et Métiers Graphiques, Paris, 1975
Born in Paris, July 13th, 1920.
Died in Montbéliard September 10th, 1999
1942: He enters at the École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs and follows Paul Valéry’s poetry classes at the Collège de France in Paris. Participation in the second exhibition of the Society of Artists of the Pays de Montbéliard at the town museum.
1945: Exhibition for under-thirty year olds and first personal exhibition in Paris at the Galerie l’Arc-en-Ciel.
1945-1948: Numerous trips to Italy and Algeria with his wife, the ceramist Marcelle Baumann.
1952: He sets up a new workshop at the Moulin, on the banks of the Doubs, near Colombier-Fontaine.
Participates in the exhibition «Peintres de la nouvelle école de Paris» at the invitation of the art critic Charles Estienne at the Babylone gallery. Participates in the creation of the October exhibition.
1953 : Group exhibition with Degottex, Loubchansky and Duvillier at the gallery l’étoile scellée, then at the Craven gallery where he meets Pierre Alechinsky.
1954 : Personal exhibition at the Palais des beaux-arts in Brussels.
1955: He organises a personal exhibition at the Volney Circle in Paris, where he meets Jacques Putman who introduces him to Bram van Velde.
1956: Enters the Michel Warren Gallery, Paris. Participates in a group exhibition at the Iris Clert Gallery, Paris, at the 2nd International Printmaking Exhibition in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia.
1958: Messagier, Alechinsky, Bram van Velde, Galerie Michel Warren, Paris. Twelve painters of the young school of Paris, Legendre Gallery, Paris. New talents in Europe’, University of Alabama, USA.
1959 : Member of the committee of the May Salon.
1960 : First exhibition in New York, organised by Michel Warren. Enters the Schoeller Gallery in Paris.
1962 : Organises a big party for the inauguration of the Moulin, designed by the architect Jean-Louis Véret.
The same year he is one of the five artists to represent France at the Venice Biennale.
1963: Retrospective exhibition at Gallery A. Schoeller and Bernheim jeune gallery, Paris. La Monnaie de Paris commissions a medal from him.
1965 : He is one of the five painters representing France at the Biennale of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
1966 : Retrospective exhibition of his engravings at the Claude Bernard gallery, Paris.
Participates in the exhibition «Grands et jeunes d’aujourd’hui» at the Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris.
1967 : Participation in the first edition of the «Suite Prisunic», initiated by Jacques Putman.
Invited to Havana by the Cuban government to present the Salon de Mai.
1968 : Participates in the Intellectuals’ Day for Vietnam in Paris. Refuses a retrospective at the Musée de Grenoble out of solidarity for the May events.
1969: First personal exhibition of sculptures in the Knoedler and Schoeller galleries in Paris
1970 : Produces a decorative panel for Air France and several tapestry boards for the Manufactures des Gobelins and de Beauvais
1971 : Great exhibition of his engraved work in Freiburg and Worpswede in Germany. Publication of the catalogue raisonné of the engraved work
1977 : Organises the «Festivals of the Future» at the Royal Saltworks of Arc et Senans
1981 : Retrospective exhibition at the Grand Palais, Paris
1997: «Engraved and lithographed work», Musée du Dessin et de l’Estampe «, Gravelines
«Jean Messagier ou le réalisme éclaté», Gustave Courbet museum, Ornans.
1999: Jean Messagier, Larock-Granoff gallery, Paris
«Hommage à Jean Messagier 1920-1999», Frank Pages gallery, Baden-Baden
2000: «Tribute 1950-1995» at the Cherbourg-Octeville Cultural Centre (Cherbourg)
and L’arc scène sationale (Le Creusot)
«Oeuvres graphiques, 1943-1998», Baron-Martin Museum, Gray
«Tribute to Jean Messagier, 1920-1999», Montbéliard museum
2001: «Sophia Vari and Jean Messagier», Ludwigmuseum, Koblenz
2003: «Monotypes and engravings» at the Zadkine museum (Les Arques) and the Rignault museum (Saint-Cirq-Lapopie), Jean Messagier in Nantes, Maison de la Culture, Oratoire chapel, Gustave Fayet contemporary art space, Nantes
2004: «Jean Messagier, Accès à l’été», espace d’art contemporain Gustave Fayet, Sérignan
«Jean Messagier: doors for a joy», Musée Paul Valéry, Sète
«Jean Messagier», Jacques Girard Gallery, Toulouse
2006: Michel Jouët and Jean Messagier, Athanor cultural centre, Guérande
«The nature of gesture», Buffon museum, Montbard
«Jean Messagier : l’oeuvre graphique», Denon museum, Chalon-sur-Saône
«Jean Messagier: nature in the palm of your hand», Musée du Château des Ducs de Wurtemberg and Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, Hôtel Beurnier-Rossel, Montbéliard
2009: «Jean Messagier, abstract landscapes», Dock-Sud gallery, Sète
Lerock-Granoff Gallery, Paris
2011: «Jean Messagier», ASCAP art library, Montbéliard
Galerie Perrin (ex-Malriat), Montbéliard
2013: «Jean Messagier», Galerie Bernard Ceysson Paris, France
2016: «Painting without restraint», with Claude Viallat, Galerie Bernard Ceysson, Wandhaff, Luxembourg
2018 : Solo exhibition «On pleure devant une vallée perdue», Galerie Catherine Putman, Paris
2019 : « Tous les sexes du Printemps, Jean Messagier », Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dole, France
Drawing Now, Carreau du Temple, Paris, Galerie Catherine Putman
2021 : Solo exhibition«Campagnols d’hiver», Galerie Catherine Putman, Paris
Drawing Now Alternative, Paris, Galerie Catherine Putman
«Paradiana», Galerie Ceysson & Bénétière, Paris, France
2023 : «La Belle Lumière - Peintures 1980 - 1993», Galerie Ceysson & Bénétière, New-York, USA
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