Jean Chevalier (1913 - 2002), Study ,1979

Gouache and acrylic on paper. 55 × 65 cm. Signed “JC” and dated “February 79” lower right.

A member of the *Groupe Témoignage* founded by Marcel Michaud in 1936, Jean Chevalier took part in the spiritual and experimental movement that animated the Lyon art scene before the war. A close friend of Albert Gleizes, he exhibited an abstract, rhythmical painting at the first *Salon des Réalités Nouvelles* in 1947, marking his adherence to the constructive principles and pursuit of harmony that would define his entire career.

This *Study* from 1979 fully expresses the maturity of his pictorial language. On a light background, broad movements of ochre, red, and brown unfold in dynamic diagonals, creating an inner tension where gesture prevails. The gouache, applied in sweeping strokes, merges in places with acrylic to produce effects of transparency and opacity. The composition vibrates with contained energy, evoking both the spontaneity of gesture and the rigor of structure.
Through this balance between impulse and order, Jean Chevalier achieves a form of controlled lyricism, where painting becomes a field of experiment and meditation.