Geer Van Velde, Composition, Gouache

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Gouache, ca1950 Handsigned by the artist in pencil 22.00 cm. x 28.00 cm. 8.66 in. x 11.02 in. (image) Framed … Read more Gouache, ca1950 Handsigned by the artist in pencil 22.00 cm. x 28.00 cm. 8.66 in. x 11.02 in. (image) Framed work Gouache on paper A certificate of authenticity etaliblished by Piet Moget will be given to the buyer. Geer Van Velde (1898-1977) was three years younger than Bram Van Velde (1895-1981). Two brothers, born in Holland, in a very poor family, who share the same passion for painting and who start their apprenticeship in a decoration company. Their boss, Mr. Kramer, encouraged and supported the two brothers. Geer joined Bram in 1925 in Paris for the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts, a major event that marked the international consecration of the Art Deco style. In 1926, he moved to the artistic bohemian quartier of Montparnasse. Like his brother, he received the support of the famous writer Samuel Beckett. There are similarities in the paths of these two almost self-taught brothers, but each has his own well-defined pictorial style. Geer's, unlike Bram's, keeps a stronger link with the motif, with the world. This link is particularly evident in his continued interest in architecture, space and its representation, a major theme in his painting. An recognizable style, in which the abstraction-figuration debate is long gone, is also the strength of Geer's art; by moving away from theoretical debates on what painting should or should not be, he certainly gains in creative freedom. The gouache we propose is quite small, as are most of the artist's gouaches, who likes to work in small formats, as if to condense the plastic effects. The composition is organized according to an orthogonal grid, which shows that Geer looked at Mondrian's art but that he rejects its dogmatism. Here, the grid is less drawn in a straight line, some oblique lines temper the 90° angles and also recall the path of cubism. Geer Van Velde knew the cubists of the Golden Section, for whom the balance of proportions was essential. The colors are carefully chosen for their softness and harmony; light blues and purples, soft greens and ochres. The lines and the filling of the forms leave free white interstices that give lightness to the composition. The work is typical of the style of the 1950s, as can be seen in an important group of gouaches by the artist preserved at the Centre Pompidou, which show that Geer Van Velde excelled in this technique: refinement of colors, work on the flatness of the painting, balance between lines and chromatism. LCD4711 This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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