Gustave Moreau
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Gustave Moreau (April 6, 1826 – April 18, 1898) was a French Symbolist painter. He was born and died in Paris.
Moreau's main focus was the illustration of Christian and mythological figures. As a painter of literary ideas rather than visual images, his images appealed to the imagination of some Symbolist writers and artists, who saw him as the precursor to their movement.
His father was an architect, who recognized his talent. Moreau studied under François-Edouard Picot and Théodore Chassériau, who he became lovers with. His first painting was a Pieta which is now located in the cathedral at Angouleme. He showed 'a Scene from the Song of Songs' and 'the Death of Darius' in the Salon of 1853. In 1853 he contributed 'Athenians with the Minotaur' and 'Moses putting off his Sandals within Sight of the Promised Land' to the Great Exhibition.
Oedipus and the Sphinx, one of his first symbolist paintings was exhibited at the Salon of 1864. Over his lifetime he painted over 8000 paintings, watercolors and drawings, many of which are on display in Paris at the "Musée Gustave Moreau" at 14, rue de la Rochefoucauld (IXe arrondissement) in Paris. The museum is in his former workshop, and opened to the public in 1903.
He became professor at École des Beaux-Arts of Paris in 1891 and counted among his many students the fauvist painters Henri Matisse and Georges Rouault.
He is buried in Paris at the Cimetière de Montmartre.
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