Born in Golfe-Juan, France, Martial Raysse emerged as a key figure in the European avant-garde during the early 1960s. He was a founding member of the Nouveau Réalisme group, an artistic movement that sought to integrate everyday objects and industrial materials into the fine art tradition, distinguishing himself through his early use of neon lighting and synthetic materials.

His practice is characterized by the juxtaposition of mass-produced commercial aesthetics with traditional painting techniques. Raysse frequently revisits canonical art historical subjects, such as portraits by Ingres or Cranach, transforming them with high-contrast colors, neon tubes, and plastic elements to challenge the viewer's perception of beauty and artifice.

Raysse maintains a significant presence in the contemporary art market and institutional landscape. His work continues to be the subject of major retrospectives and remains highly sought after by international collectors, cementing his status as one of the most influential figures in post-war French art.