Mid-20th-Century French Still Life Signed Germaine GLORIA - 25½" x 20¾"

Still Life with White Compote is an oil painting signed by Germaine Gloria (1888–1962), a student of Mathilde Delattre (1871–1950). The composition is structured around a horizontal band of brightly colored objects, including a white footed bowl of apples, stacked books, and scattered fruit, set in contrast against a darker background. The draped fabric behind, articulated in angular pleats, shows a subtle Cubist influence that lends rhythm and structure to the scene. Deep blues and teals dominate the background and are animated by gentle variations of light that create depth and atmosphere, while warmer notes of orange, red, and gold bring balance and quiet visual tension to the foreground. The work reflects the modern still life tradition that embraced bold color, simplified forms, and expressive handling.

The painting is presented in a light-colored shadow box frame, which gives the work space to breathe and emphasizes its pictorial depth. It is in very good condition, with gentle surface wear consistent with age.

Germaine Gloria was a French painter born in 1888 and active into the mid-20th century, best known for her flower studies and still lifes. She exhibited widely, including at the Paris Salon of the Artistes Français from as early as 1910, and took part in religious and public art competitions in the 1920s and 1930s, winning awards for both painting and poster design. Gloria’s work was acquired by major French institutions, with examples entering the collections of the Centre National des Arts Plastiques and regional museums, reflecting her presence in the cultural life of her time. Her practice combined expressive brushwork with a strong sense of composition and color, and she also worked as an illustrator and affichiste.

This painting brings cultivated warmth to an interior, ideal above a console in a dining room, layered into a kitchen gallery wall, or anchoring a breakfast nook, where its motif feels especially at home. This painting brings structure and calm to an interior, its balanced composition and rich blues offering a grounding presence in both busy family spaces and quieter rooms.

Condition and patina consistent with age.
Approx. overall w/o frame 25½" high x 20¾" wide x 1¼" thick
Approx. overall w/o frame 65cm high x 53cm wide x 3cm thick