He worked on his fragrances like a craftsman works on light, with sobriety, patience and intuition.
Rosendo Mateu (1945-2021) was one of the great names in contemporary perfumery, combining technical rigour with artistic sensitivity. Born in Barcelona, he entered the world of fragrances at an early age, joining the Puig house, where he spent more than 50 years, the last decade as master perfumer.
Trained at the school of Grasse and passionate about chemistry, art history and materials, Mateu developed a deeply balanced style, built on a wealth of contrasts: between freshness and warmth, transparency and density.
He created numerous fragrances for prestigious houses, often in the background, but always with extreme precision.
In 2017, after retiring from Puig, he launched his own house: Rosendo Mateu Olfactive Expressions, a personal, free-spirited collection in which he explored subtle, sensual accords, often centred on noble materials such as musk, sandalwood, amber or neroli.
His Fragrance N°5, for example, quickly became a cult favourite: a deep musky-floral accord, the signature of his modern yet intimate approach.
Rosendo Mateu worked on his fragrances like a craftsman works on light - with sobriety, patience and intuition.
A discreet, demanding man, he believed in a lasting, balanced, universal fragrance, capable of conveying emotion without clamour.
His legacy is twofold: powerful yet refined creations, and a vision of perfume as a language in its own right - both science and poetry.
