Gustave Moreau

French Symbolist painter Gustave Moreau (1826-1898) created erotic, mystical paintings of mythological and biblical subjects that defined the movement. His images of Salome, Oedipus, and other figures combine exotic eroticism with violence, rendering women from ancient texts as archetypal "symbolist women." Rich, jewel-like colors and intricate detail characterize his visionary works. Andre Breton, founder of Surrealism, haunted his museum and called him a precursor of Surrealism.

Moreau trained academically at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, but his mentor Theodore Chasseriau's early death in 1856 deeply affected him. A trip to Italy (1857-1859) produced hundreds of Old Master studies. His breakthrough came with Oedipus and the Sphinx at the 1864 Salon. Despite producing nearly 1,200 paintings and 10,000 drawings, Moreau showed rarely. From 1891-1898, he taught at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, mentoring future masters including Matisse and Georges Rouault without imposing his style. He converted his townhouse into a museum before death, bequeathing it to France. The Musee Gustave Moreau in Paris holds nearly his complete works. Other paintings hang at the Musee d'Orsay and major museums worldwide.