jean messagier

Jean Messagier was born in Paris in 1920 and grew up in Franche-Comté, France. After studying at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in the late 1930s, he developed a style that bridged post-war abstraction and lyrical painting, blending gestural freedom with a deep sensitivity to nature. Associated at times with lyrical abstraction, Art Informel, and even the New Figuration, Messagier resisted strict categorization, preferring a poetic, instinctive approach to image-making.

His works, often painted with sweeping strokes and vivid colour harmonies, evoke landscapes, seasons, and the sensory impressions of his surroundings. Throughout his career, he exhibited widely in France and internationally—in Paris, Geneva, New York, Tokyo, and beyond—and represented France at major biennials. His paintings and graphic works are held in significant public collections, including the Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris. Jean Messagier passed away in 1999, leaving behind a body of work that celebrates the vitality and lyricism of nature.