VALMIER, GEORGES (French, 1885-1937)

A spiritual descendent of Cézanne, Valmier was one of the first painters to pursue the cubist esthetic. From as early as 1909, Valmier explored the cubist idiom independently from Braque and Picasso, whom he did not know at the time. Valmier first exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants in 1913. From 1919 until his death, Valmier was represented by the influential Léonce Rosenberg Gallery, who also looked after Gleizes, Herbin and Laurens.
Valmier’s colourful Cubist oeuvre forms a rich, significant and truly original part of the story of Cubism and merits to feature along the cubist works of Braque, Picasso, Gris and Léger.

Like many Cubists, Valmier was tempted by abstraction, especially during the years 1921-22, and later, although in a totally different way, after 1930. Like Albert Gleizes, Valmier became increasingly preoccupied with religion and metaphysics, which is reflected in the delicate nuances in colour and forms. In his search to suggest the invisible, Valmier created abstracted pictorial harmonies which corresponded to harmonies of his soul. In 1930 Lévy published Valmier’s album with decorative projects called ‘Décors et Couleurs’. This publication became a recognized source of inspiration for many abstract painters.
In 1932 Valmier was a founder member of the group ‘Abstraction-création’
During the 1920s, Valmier was also involved in theatre set and costume design including designs for ‘Isabelle et Pantallon’ by Max Jacob (1923).


Public collections include:                
Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris
Musée National d’Art Moderne (Pompidou), Paris
Rijksmuseum Kröller-Müller, Otterlo
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York
Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven