Moreau, Gustave (1826-1898)

Moreau, Gustave

PAINTER (FRANCE)

BORN 6 Apr 1826, Paris: 6 Rue des Saints-Pères - DIED 18 Apr 1898, Paris
CAUSE OF DEATH stomach cancer
GRAVE LOCATION Paris: Cimetière de Montmartre, 20 Avenue Rachel (division 22, ligne 07, numéro 02)

Gustave Moreau was the son of Louis Moreau, an architect in the service of the city of Paris. His mother Adèle Pauline Desmoutier was a gifted musician. A visit to Italy when he was fifteen years old started his interest in art. He entered the École des Beaux-Arts when he was eighteen years old and there he studied under Édouard Picot. After he left the École des Beaux-Arts in 1850 he studied under Théodore Chassériau. He debuted at the Salon in Paris in 1852. In 1857 he went to Italy and stayed there for two years. The he met Edgar Degas and became his mentor. After his return to Paris in 1859 he met Adelaide-Alexandrine Dureux (b.1836). He often painted her and possibly their relationship that lasted over 25 years was of a romantic nature. Moreau never married.

His first important symbolist painting "Oedipus and the Sphinx" was exhibited at the Salon of 1864. He became a Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur in 1875 and an Officier de la Legion d'honneur in 1883.
Alexandrine died on 28 March 1890 and after this his work was of a more melancholic nature. He had been secretive during his life, but after Alexandrine's death and his expectation that he would soon die himself as well he became more open to the world. In 1891 he accepted a professorship at the École des Beaux-Arts. Among his students were Henri Mattisse, Jules Flandrin and Georges Rouault. He also made alterations to his house so it could become a museum after his death. He died in Paris in 1898 of stomach cancer and was he buried in his parents' tomb at Montmartre Cemetery.

Related persons
• was a friend of Degas, Edgar
• was admired by Huysmans, Joris Karl
• influenced Khnopff, Fernand
• was teacher of Matisse, Henri
• was admired by Montesquiou-Fezensac, Robert, Comte de

Images
The grave of Gustave Moreau at the Cimetière Montmartre, Paris. Picture by Androom (20 Feb 2016)	The grave of Gustave Moreau at the Cimetière Montmartre, Paris. Picture by Androom (20 Feb 2016)	"Oedipe voyageur". (Metz: La Cour d'Or, Musées de Metz)