Georges Jouve is regarded as one of the most important French ceramicists of the mid-twentieth century. He trained at the École Boulle in Paris and began his artistic career as a set designer. During the Second World War, Jouve was captured by the Germans and interned in a German camp. After several attempts, he managed to escape and sought refuge at his step-parents’ home in Dieulefit, a pottery village in the south of France, where he began working with clay.

In 1944, Jouve established his first independent studio in Paris. He was soon invited by the architect and designer Jacques Adnet to participate in the exhibition La Céramique Contemporaine, organised by the Compagnie des Arts Français. There, Jouve exhibited alongside some of France’s leading designers and artists, including sculpture by Alexandre Knoll, ceramics by Jean Besnard and lighting by Serge Mouille.

Jouve subsequently took part in numerous exhibitions of contemporary ceramics, both in France and internationally. He died in 1964, aged just 54.