Maurice Georges Poncelet

MAURICE-GEORGE PONCELET (France, 1897-1978)
"The painter". 1925.
Oil on canvas.
Signed and dated in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 146 x 115 cm.

In this work, we are presented with a composition that, at first glance, is framed in the long tradition of the painter and the model, a recurring theme in the history of art. However, Poncelet elevates this classical premise by injecting it with a conceptual layer of formal deconstruction, placing the scene in a paradoxical space, transforming the relationship between the creator, creation and everyday life: the still life of jugs and fruit, the woman reading the newspaper and the naked muse make up the three levels of reality. The naked woman, like an odalisque, seems absent, withdrawn in her thoughts while eating a piece of fruit. The contrast between this woman's nudity and the other clothed bodies seems a nod to Manet. Despite her nudity, she stands out for her relaxed naturalness and the painter's search for anatomical truth. The fruit, with its timeless symbolism of life and earthly pleasure, anchors the figure in the corporeal and the present.

Poncelet's style in this piece is remarkably synthetic and coloristic, characterized by a fiery palette that endows the scene with a particular vitality and emotional depth. The painting does not dwell on minute detail, but synthesizes forms and volumes through decisive brushstrokes and an economy of line. The essence of objects and figures is captured with a post-Cezannian directness.

Maurice Georges Poncelet was a prominent French artist, known for his painting and lithography, and for his courageous participation in the Resistance during World War II.His artistic career was characterized by a constant search for a "good technique in the service of a greater spirituality." After an experimental beginning (1913-1914), World War I led him to a profound meditation on his art. Between 1919 and 1925, he focused on construction and order, and then, from 1925 to 1932, developed an expressionist style with powerful volumes and rough textures. From 1932 onwards, his work evolved towards a more sober and subtle drawing in color. In the 1930s, Poncelet gained recognition, winning third place in the Jacques Darnetal Grand Prix de Peinture in 1933. He was a member of the N.G.S. (Nouvelle Galerie Simonson) group, praised for his "return to the object" and his commitment to solid, finished painting. He received important official commissions, such as the murals for the Palais de la Découverte and the Lycée Janson-de-Sailly in Paris, where he demonstrated his skill as a decorator. During World War II, Poncelet showed great ethical and patriotic commitment. In 1941, he refused to sell one of his works to Hermann Göring, sending it to the United States to protect it. Demobilized in Vic-Fezensac, he joined the Resistance, operating under the pseudonym "Properce". He participated in the Armagnac battalion, collaborating with the Allies in the recovery of material. He was captured and tortured by the French Militia, but managed to escape and rejoin the fight. His heroism was recognized by Raymond Escholier in his book "Maquis de Gascogne".After the war, Maurice Georges Poncelet settled in Port-Vendres, moving from the "School of Paris" to the "School of Toulouse". René Huyghe described him as an artist who, along with others of his generation, "revealed an obsession - or an anguish - before the spectacle of the world", seeking a personal interpretation and a spiritual escape through art. Poncelet died in Port-Vendres in 1978.