Robert Mathieu was one of the most talented lighting designers of the 1950s. By 1949 he had founded his own company and exhibited his first works at 98 Boulevard Charonne, Paris, which would remain his flagship store throughout his career. In 1955 Mathieu bought the logo ‘Le Luminaire Parisien’ and became the head of three establishments in Paris. Renowned for a high level of precision manufacture, Mathieu’s designs favoured elegant geometries composed of lines and simple volumes. The inventive use of multiple lamp shades and brass rod armatures are synonymous with his designs.