“Georges Pompidou & Art” exhibition at the Chambord castle

Exhibitions, Museums

Micromégas (1973, 65 x 130 cm) is currently shown at the “Georges Pompidou & Art” exhibition at the Chambord castle (800,000 visitors per year) from June 18th to November 19th, 2017. This oil on canvas is part of the collection of Centre Pompidou, this year celebrating its 40 years.

Georges Mathieu started in 1963 a regular correspondence with Georges Pompidou, who was at the time Prime Minister of France under General de Gaulle and became President in 1969. They had a deep respect for each other, and their exchange of views on the role of art and culture in society became the most abundant correspondence Pompidou had with any contemporary artist. Pompidou, who owned several Mathieu paintings in his collection, visited his exhibition at the Gobelins in 1969 and asked him to create a large painting for the Fort de Brégançon, the official retreat of the French President.

Georges Mathieu once said that Pompidou “never lost sight of the fact that the values of a civilization are transmitted not only by the sharing of goods but also by the sharing of the things of the mind”.