Composition

Geneviève Asse, born in Vannes in 1923, was a French painter whose career saw a remarkable development from figurative to abstract works. She received her early artistic training during the German occupation, before working as a member of the Resistance in the 1940s and as an ambulance driver during the Second World War. After the war, she returned to art and established herself in the Parisian art scene, where her work was influenced by Chardin, Cézanne and Braque. From the 1960s onwards, Asse developed her own abstract style, which became known for her characteristic ‘Asse Blue’ works, in which she used finely graduated colour tones and large-scale compositions. Her works, which include both paintings and stained glass windows, reflect her subtle use of colour and form. Particularly noteworthy is her collaboration with writers such as Samuel Beckett and André du Bouchet, for whom she created illustrations. Asse has exhibited her work in major museums, including the Musée National d'Art Moderne in Paris and the Kunsthaus Zürich. Her legacy lives on, not only in public collections, but also in the permanent exhibition at the La Cohue Art Museum in her home town of Vannes. Source