The biographical information available on Georges Goes remains fragmentary, a characteristic common to many artists of this generation whose archives were dispersed or lost during the conflicts of the 20th century. What is known about him focuses primarily on a pivotal period: his internment as a prisoner of war in a Stalag during the Second World War.
This experience of captivity proved decisive not only for his personal trajectory but also for his artistic development. It was in these extreme circumstances that he formed a lasting friendship with Jean Mariotti, a writer from New Caledonia. This encounter, born out of shared adversity, went beyond simple wartime camaraderie to evolve into an artistic collaboration.
Their partnership materialized in the postwar period with the illustration of a book by Mariotti, a tangible testament to this friendship forged in captivity. This collaboration reveals Goes's ability to transform hardship into creation, a characteristic of many artists of his generation who were able to draw creative force from collective suffering.
His work, although poorly documented, necessarily bears the imprint of this founding experience. Like many artists who lived through the war, his work probably demonstrates a particular sensitivity to human issues and the fragility of existence, recurring themes among artists affected by 20th-century conflicts.
