The value of Jacques Germain's works and paintings

If you own a work by the artist Jacques Germain, and would like to know its value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers will help you authenticate and appraise it free of charge. Thereafter, if you wish to sell your work, we will direct you to the best possible arrangement to obtain maximum price.

Rating and value of the artist Jacques Germain

Considered one of the leaders of lyrical abstract art along with Hans Hartung, Pierre Soulage and Georges Mathieu, Jacques Germain leaves behind a unique artistic repertoire imbued with pictorial music. This legacy consists of paintings, watercolor drawings and prints.

At present, the prices of his works are soaring exponentially at auctioneers' gavels. His paintings are particularly prized, and the price at which they sell on the art market ranges from €80 to €55 000, a considerable delta but one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to the works of Jacques Germain. In 2023, a predominantly red polychrome composition dating from 1967 sold for €26 000 while it was estimated at €6 000 to €8 000.

Order of value of Jacques Germain's works

Who is Jacques Germain ?

Jacques Germain (1915-2001), a French artist, became a key figure in the 20th-century art world. He took up painting at the Académie Moderne, under the guidance of eminent masters Fernand Léger and Amédée Ozenfant. In 1931, Blaise Cendrars and Fernand Léger recommended that he continue his studies at the prestigious Bauhaus in Dessau. Jacques Germain, the only French student at the Bauhaus, undertook this formative sojourn in October 1931, staying for a year. After passing through France again in 1932, he returned to Germany, this time to Frankfurt, where the constructivist painter Willi Baumeister gave him some lessons.

However, with the rise of the Nazi regime, Jacques Germain was forced to withdraw to France and took refuge in advertising illustration. He was soon called up for military service and plunged into the Second World War, where he was taken prisoner for three years. After surviving his period of captivity, Jacques Germain turned back to his passion, painting.

Style and technique of artist Jacques Germain

Jacques Germain, is inspired by the style of the Bauhaus school, of which he was a pupil, and retains the teachings of one of his masters : Kandinsky. He works and handles the knife to perfection.

How did he mark his period ? 

Jacques Germain met many artists, such as Georges Mathieu or Jean Fautrier and it was in this stimulating environment that he developed and refined his own style. In 1949, he was given the opportunity to orchestrate and unveil his work to the public at his first monographic exhibition in Paris.

Subsequently, Jacques Germain took part in many international exhibitions, making a lasting mark on the art scene.

Jacques Germain shows a real attachment to structuring through vertical and diagonal lines, the canvas like a canvas. Nevertheless, it is in these interlacing colors that he creates vibrant rhythms that are uniquely his own. The breadth and vigor of his painting lies in his knife technique: rapid, virulent and iterative. One of his hallmarks remains his exploration of the intricacies of colorimetry. Modeled on the great Dutch masters of the 17th century, Jacques Germain's tonal painting features refined gradations that blend gracefully into a palette dominated successively by shades of blue, red or paler hues.

How to recognize Jacques Germain's signature ?

Paintings by Jacques Germain are usually signed and dated in the lower right-hand corner of the painting.

How to find out the value of a work ?

If you happen to own a work by or after Jacques Germain, don't hesitate to request a free appraisal using our form on our website.

A member of our team, composed of experts and chartered auctioneers, will contact you promptly to provide you with an estimate of the market value of your work, not forgetting to send you ad hoc information about it. If you are considering selling your work of art, our specialists will also be on hand to offer you alternatives for selling it at the best possible price, taking into account the inclinations of the market.