Matthieu Elias

Matthieu Elias is an artist whose documented activity spans a short period between 1706 and 1707. The verifiable core of his surviving artistic output consists of ten drawings held in major institutional collections, notably the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Elias’s documented works are distinguished by their detailed, narrative quality, focusing heavily on hagiographical cycles related to religious figures such as Jean de la Barrière, the founder of the reformed Feuillant Order. These drawings function as historical illustrations or preparatory sketches, meticulously detailing significant ecclesiastical events. Notable titles within this corpus include Feuillant monks carry the bier with the body of Jean de la Barrière and Scene 25: Fatally wounded, King Henry III informs the Blessed Abbot of his condition and recommends himself to his prayers. Other compositions detail the challenges faced by the order, such as Scene 28: The Blessed Abbot having retired to the Château de Montaigu, soldiers of the league arrive to capture him.

The surviving drawings also document foundational moments for the Feuillant movement, including Scene 31: Foundation of a second Feuillant monastery in Rome, dedicated to Saint Bernard. Though the works in the Metropolitan Museum represent the full extent of Elias’s verifiable output, the detailed historical subjects offer insights into early eighteenth-century religious artistic patronage. Specialized Matthieu Elias prints derived from these original drawings are often reproduced as downloadable artwork, making the specific details of his draftsmanship accessible for scholarly review.