1846 -1920 · Paris, Rome and symbolist imagination

Dream archeology, poetic Christianity and scholarly drawing make Luc-Olivier Merson a unique decorator and illustrator of the end of the 19th century.

Luc-Olivier Merson was born in Paris in 1846. Son of the critic and painter Olivier Merson, he trained at the School of Fine Arts with Isidore Pils. He started at the Salon in 1867 and won the Prix de Rome in 1869. His stay at the Villa Medici fueled a passion for architecture, costumes, mosaics and ancient landscapes. Merson constructs his paintings as credible but strange worlds, where archaeological scholarship always leaves room for dreams. In Rest During the Flight into Egypt, the Virgin and Child find refuge from the Sphinx; the ancient monument becomes a shelter, threshold and symbol. In Rest During the Flight into Egypt, the Virgin and Child find refuge from the Sphinx; the ancient monument becomes a shelter, threshold and symbol. In Rest During the Flight into Egypt, the Virgin and Child find refuge from the Sphinx; the ancient monument becomes a shelter, threshold and symbol. In Rest During the Flight into Egypt, the Virgin and Child find refuge from the Sphinx; the ancient monument becomes a shelter, threshold and symbol. The Arrival in Bethlehem and The Wolf of Agubbio combine religious story, observation and nocturnal atmosphere. The Marathon Soldier, for his part, reveals the anatomical and historical precision inherited from the academic school. Merson also works on a large scale: decorations of the Pantheon, the Opéra-Comique and civil buildings, cardboard, stained glass and mosaics. A prolific illustrator, he also designed banknotes, stamps and editorial compositions, bringing his drawing into daily life. Appointed professor at the School of Fine Arts in 1894, he trained several generations of artists. Appointed professor at the School of Fine Arts in 1894, he trained several generations of artists. Appointed professor at the School of Fine Arts in 1894, he trained several generations of artists. Appointed professor at the School of Fine Arts in 1894, he trained several generations of artists. Appointed professor at the School of Fine Arts in 1894, he trained several generations of artists. Appointed professor at the School of Fine Arts in 1894, he trained several generations of artists. Appointed professor at the School of Fine Arts in 1894, he trained several generations of artists. Appointed professor at the School of Fine Arts in 1894, he trained several generations of artists. Appointed professor at the School of Fine Arts in 1894, he trained several generations of artists Rest during the flight into Egypt and Arrival in Bethlehem. His reading favors the atmosphere.

Merson transforms archeology into a dream: historical detail makes the world believable, then light opens it to mystery.