Edouard Pignon was a French painter whose artwork explored interwoven subjects such as the working class, boat-sails, tree trunks, and the horrors of war. Many of his works are considered commentaries on social and political issues. A close friend of painter Pablo Picasso, Pignon frequently exhibited his work in France and abroad.
In 1976 in the city of Lille near the Belgian Border, he created a monumental mural composed of ceramics entitled, “The Minotaur.” The work of art was ordered by then-mayor Pierre Mauroy.
The mural is more than 40 years old and remains in near flawless condition. On the right of the mural, a woman carries a sleeping child. On the left, a menacing bird of prey has his eyes set on both.
