Georges Jouve

Book signing at Librairie Lardanchet on Wednesday, 12 November 2025, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm

A freethinking artist and major figure in the decorative arts, Georges Jouve (1910–1964) embodied a style of ceramics that was free from academic constraints. Trained at the École Boulle, he tirelessly explored the links between form, material and light, combining utility and ornamentation, rigour and fantasy. Able to move with ease from small to monumental works, he created vases as well as fountains, tables and sculptures.

His wide stylistic diversity, ranging from realism to abstraction, set him apart early on, as did his most famous signature: his black glaze. Present at the major salons of his time, Jouve established himself as one of the artisans of modernity and joined the Steph Simon gallery at the instigation of Charlotte Perriand. After his signature black and white, from 1956 onwards the ceramist developed pure selenium colours, favouring bright shades such as red, green, yellow and orange. His practice incorporated zoomorphic, anthropomorphic and abstract forms, with constant inventiveness.

This richly illustrated monograph traces Jouve's career from his beginnings in Nyons and Dieulefit, historic centres of ceramic production, to his mature years in Aix-en-Provence. It highlights his iconic pieces, such as his cylindrical vases, and his collaborations with major figures in design, such as Janette Laverrière, Étienne Noël and Mathieu Matégot.