388 - Mathurin MÉHEUT (1882–1958)

Mathurin MÉHEUT (1882–1958) Hawaiian Lobster Mixed media on paper Monogrammed and titled "Hawaii" in the lower left corner 46 x 28 cm (viewable area) Framed under glass Resale royalty payable by the purchaser. The condition report is available upon request at the following email address: contact@neo-encheres.com Description: Trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Rennes and later at the École des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, Mathurin Méheut proved himself to be a passionate observer of the marine world from an early age. Between 1910 and 1912, he worked alongside naturalists at the Roscoff Biological Station: this collaboration resulted in a book dedicated to marine flora and fauna, as well as the approximately 450 works exhibited in 1913 at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. In 1914, a travel grant from the Albert Kahn Foundation opened up new horizons for him in Hawaii and Japan, before the war cut short his journey. Crustaceans, fish, and seaweed are recurring themes throughout his work, from the marine-themed tableware set designed for the Henriot pottery in Quimper—presented at the 1925 Exposition of Decorative Arts—to his commissions for Sèvres. This study of a lobster is part of this naturalistic tradition, influenced by Japonism, which Henri Rivière also embraced in Brittany. Méheut belongs to the great generation of Breton painters, alongside Charles Cottet, Lucien Simon, Jean-Julien Lemordant, and his student Yvonne Jean-Haffen, and his collection is housed at the museum in Lamballe, his hometown.