From the 1960s onwards a strength, a life, a joy burst forth in Jean Jansem’s portraits, life drawings, and larger compositions. His drawings are often detailed but never heavy, punctuated by the omnipresent line but also airy, transparent, luminous. His charcoal and ink studies of naked women are characterised by a colour-wash background, which he used to bring life to his subjects. Touched by the beauty of dance, he created drawings of dancers with extreme grace.

For Jansem, everything starts with drawing and comes back to it. His talent associated with the mastery of various techniques, from oil to graphite, from Indian ink and wash to watercolour, including engraving, justifies his success in France and abroad, particularly in the United States and Japan. The latter country, which he visited at length in 1974, particularly excited him. Two Japanese museums are dedicated to him, in Ginza and Azumino.