Jacques Germain (1915-2001)

Jacques Germain (1915-2001)

Gouache on paper

Monogrammed and dated lower right 1978

Excellent condition

Size 57 X 75 cm - framed 74.6 X 94 cm

----------------------------
Following in the footsteps of Georges Mathieu, Jean Miotte and Gérard Schneider, Jacques Germain established himself as a major - and singular - figure in post-war lyrical abstraction.
His solidly structured compositions from the 50s and 60s bear witness to his time at the Bauhaus, where he studied under Josef Albers and Vassily Kandinsky.
This dual lineage has given rise to a pictorial language based on rigour, intuition and a highly personal exploration of colour.

In this 1978 work, Germain turns the surface into a field of coloured forces. Strata of lines, cross-hatching, bursts of colour: everything seems to be expanding, in a controlled tension. The work plays on optical rhythm, circular movement and the pure energy of gesture.

The omnipresent black channels the intensity of the vivid colours and imbues the whole with an almost musical tempo, in which each form seems to participate in an inner score.