Born in 1919 in Rodez, France, and passing away in Sète in 2022, Pierre Soulages is one of the most influential French artists of the 20th century, widely revered as the "Master of Black." His fascination with the Romanesque architecture and prehistoric art of his homeland guided his early path. In 1938, he entered the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris but soon left, disillusioned by its rigid academicism. During World War II, he continued his studies in Montpellier, where he met the abstract pioneer Sonia Delaunay. These formative experiences shaped his departure from figurative representation toward a lifelong pursuit of pure materiality and structural depth.

Soulages began his artistic journey in the 1940s, initially gaining recognition for his bold black strokes and use of walnut stain. In 1979, he initiated the celebrated Outrenoir (Beyond Black) series, treating black not merely as a color but as an optical medium. By layering, scraping, or sculpting thick pigment on canvas, he utilized varying surface textures to reflect light, transforming black into a luminous and rhythmic presence. In 2014, he was hailed by the French President as "the world's greatest living artist," and in 2019, he became one of the exceptionally rare artists to be honored with a solo exhibition at the Louvre Museum during his lifetime. His work is featured in the permanent collections of over 300 premier institutions, including MoMA (New York), the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Tate Modern (London), and the Centre Pompidou (Paris). In 2014, the Musée Soulages was inaugurated in his hometown of Rodez to preserve his immense artistic legacy.