diff --git a/dlib/matrix/matrix_utilities.h b/dlib/matrix/matrix_utilities.h
index f519f5021..7841168a8 100644
--- a/dlib/matrix/matrix_utilities.h
+++ b/dlib/matrix/matrix_utilities.h
@@ -314,6 +314,84 @@ namespace dlib
         return val;
     }
 
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    template <typename M1, typename M2>
+    struct op_binary_min : basic_op_mm<M1,M2>
+    {
+        op_binary_min( const M1& m1_, const M2& m2_) : basic_op_mm<M1,M2>(m1_,m2_){}
+
+        typedef typename M1::type type;
+        typedef const type const_ret_type;
+        const static long cost = M1::cost + M2::cost + 1;
+
+        const_ret_type apply ( long r, long c) const
+        { return std::min(this->m1(r,c),this->m2(r,c)); }
+    };
+
+    template <
+        typename EXP1,
+        typename EXP2
+        >
+    inline const matrix_op<op_binary_min<EXP1,EXP2> > min_pointwise (
+        const matrix_exp<EXP1>& a,
+        const matrix_exp<EXP2>& b 
+    )
+    {
+        COMPILE_TIME_ASSERT((is_same_type<typename EXP1::type,typename EXP2::type>::value == true));
+        COMPILE_TIME_ASSERT(EXP1::NR == EXP2::NR || EXP1::NR == 0 || EXP2::NR == 0);
+        COMPILE_TIME_ASSERT(EXP1::NC == EXP2::NC || EXP1::NC == 0 || EXP2::NC == 0);
+        DLIB_ASSERT(a.nr() == b.nr() &&
+               a.nc() == b.nc(), 
+            "\t const matrix_exp min_pointwise(const matrix_exp& a, const matrix_exp& b)"
+            << "\n\ta.nr(): " << a.nr()
+            << "\n\ta.nc(): " << a.nc() 
+            << "\n\tb.nr(): " << b.nr()
+            << "\n\tb.nc(): " << b.nc() 
+            );
+        typedef op_binary_min<EXP1,EXP2> op;
+        return matrix_op<op>(op(a.ref(),b.ref()));
+    }
+
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    template <typename M1, typename M2>
+    struct op_binary_max : basic_op_mm<M1,M2>
+    {
+        op_binary_max( const M1& m1_, const M2& m2_) : basic_op_mm<M1,M2>(m1_,m2_){}
+
+        typedef typename M1::type type;
+        typedef const type const_ret_type;
+        const static long cost = M1::cost + M2::cost + 1;
+
+        const_ret_type apply ( long r, long c) const
+        { return std::max(this->m1(r,c),this->m2(r,c)); }
+    };
+
+    template <
+        typename EXP1,
+        typename EXP2
+        >
+    inline const matrix_op<op_binary_max<EXP1,EXP2> > max_pointwise (
+        const matrix_exp<EXP1>& a,
+        const matrix_exp<EXP2>& b 
+    )
+    {
+        COMPILE_TIME_ASSERT((is_same_type<typename EXP1::type,typename EXP2::type>::value == true));
+        COMPILE_TIME_ASSERT(EXP1::NR == EXP2::NR || EXP1::NR == 0 || EXP2::NR == 0);
+        COMPILE_TIME_ASSERT(EXP1::NC == EXP2::NC || EXP1::NC == 0 || EXP2::NC == 0);
+        DLIB_ASSERT(a.nr() == b.nr() &&
+               a.nc() == b.nc(), 
+            "\t const matrix_exp max_pointwise(const matrix_exp& a, const matrix_exp& b)"
+            << "\n\ta.nr(): " << a.nr()
+            << "\n\ta.nc(): " << a.nc() 
+            << "\n\tb.nr(): " << b.nr()
+            << "\n\tb.nc(): " << b.nc() 
+            );
+        typedef op_binary_max<EXP1,EXP2> op;
+        return matrix_op<op>(op(a.ref(),b.ref()));
+    }
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     template <
diff --git a/dlib/matrix/matrix_utilities_abstract.h b/dlib/matrix/matrix_utilities_abstract.h
index 26c060fdc..47dcebe88 100644
--- a/dlib/matrix/matrix_utilities_abstract.h
+++ b/dlib/matrix/matrix_utilities_abstract.h
@@ -1361,6 +1361,25 @@ namespace dlib
               according to std::norm().
     !*/
 
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    const matrix_exp min_pointwise (
+        const matrix_exp& a,
+        const matrix_exp& b 
+    );
+    /*!
+        requires
+            - a.nr() == b.nr()
+            - a.nc() == b.nc()
+            - a and b both contain the same type of element 
+        ensures
+            - returns a matrix R such that:
+                - R::type == the same type that was in a and b.
+                - R has the same dimensions as a and b. 
+                - for all valid r and c:
+                  R(r,c) == std::min(a(r,c), b(r,c))
+    !*/
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     const matrix_exp::type max (
@@ -1375,6 +1394,25 @@ namespace dlib
               according to std::norm().
     !*/
 
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    const matrix_exp max_pointwise (
+        const matrix_exp& a,
+        const matrix_exp& b 
+    );
+    /*!
+        requires
+            - a.nr() == b.nr()
+            - a.nc() == b.nc()
+            - a and b both contain the same type of element 
+        ensures
+            - returns a matrix R such that:
+                - R::type == the same type that was in a and b.
+                - R has the same dimensions as a and b. 
+                - for all valid r and c:
+                  R(r,c) == std::max(a(r,c), b(r,c))
+    !*/
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     void find_min_and_max (
diff --git a/dlib/test/matrix.cpp b/dlib/test/matrix.cpp
index 2ba4c2427..7d95a8006 100644
--- a/dlib/test/matrix.cpp
+++ b/dlib/test/matrix.cpp
@@ -1063,6 +1063,28 @@ namespace
 
         }
 
+        {
+            matrix<double> a = randm(3,4);
+            matrix<double> b = randm(3,4);
+
+            matrix<double> m1, m2;
+
+            m1 = max_pointwise(a,b);
+            m2 = min_pointwise(a,b);
+            DLIB_TEST(m1.nr() == a.nr());
+            DLIB_TEST(m1.nc() == a.nc());
+            DLIB_TEST(m2.nr() == a.nr());
+            DLIB_TEST(m2.nc() == a.nc());
+            for (long r = 0; r < a.nr(); ++r)
+            {
+                for (long c = 0; c < a.nc(); ++c)
+                {
+                    DLIB_TEST_MSG(m1(r,c) == std::max(a(r,c), b(r,c)), m1(r,c)  << " : " << a(r,c) << " " << b(r,c));
+                    DLIB_TEST(m2(r,c) == std::min(a(r,c), b(r,c)));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
         {
             matrix<double,4,5> m;
             set_subm(m, range(0,3), range(0,4)) = 4;