Jean CHEVALIER (1913 - 2002) - Study, 1979

Jean Chevalier was a member of the Témoignage group, a Lyon-based collective founded in the 1930s that brought together artists with surrealist tendencies, strongly influenced by esotericism and a spirit of spiritual exploration.

The Témoignage group was established in 1936 during the period of the Popular Front, under the guidance of poet, critic, and gallerist Marcel Michaud. The group included painters such as Jean Bertholle and Jean Le Moal, as well as sculptors like Étienne-Martin and François Stahly. It was an active participant in the Lyonnais art scene before expanding to Paris. The members of Témoignage also sought, through their journal Le Poids du Monde, to explore and express their intellectual and artistic commitment by addressing topics such as poetry, dance, music, sculpture, and painting.

This group played a fundamental role in the development of modern art in Lyon and beyond, but it disbanded in 1940 due to the upheaval caused by World War II.