Object Details
Artist
Georges Valmier
Date
1918-1919
Medium
Gouache and collage on paper
Dimensions
Image: 7 × 4 1/2 inches (17.8 × 11.4 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired through the generosity of Jennifer, Gale, and Ira Drukier
Object
Number
99.018
Drawn to art at an early age, Valmier first received academic training. But his interest in Cézanne(…)
Drawn to art at an early age, Valmier first received academic training. But his interest in Cézanne led him to leave school and follow new ideas. In 1909, influenced by Braque and Picasso, he was one of the first to experiment with cubism. This beautiful, jewel-like gouache and collage is a delightful example of his keen color sense and whimsical playfulness with shapes. It is much more lighthearted than Picasso’s collagelike gouache – Untitled (Cubist Composition), also in the collection of the Johnson Museum; 2000.163.002 – with its bleak and somber mood.A man of diverse talents, Valmier designed theatrical sets and costumes as well as models for fabrics and carpets. An accomplished musician, he performed in public many times. A sense of rhythm and decorative harmony are apparent in a composition like this one. (“Drawing the Line: 150 Years of European Artists on Paper,” curated by Nancy E. Green and presented at the Johnson Museum January 20–June 10, 2018)
