“I talk with people in the neighborhood and I watch their reactions without letting on that I’m the author of the piece. It’s the best part of graffiti: a moment of true happiness.” –Blek le Rat

Master street artist Blek le Rat was one of the very first, if not the first, true street artist in France, and is the “Father of Stencil Graffiti.” Xavier Prou was born in Paris in 1951 to an architect and the daughter of a French consul in Thailand. The risk-taking artist attended the famous École des Beaux-Arts in his twenties where he studied etching, lithography, serigraphy, and architecture, which sparked thought on public space. He and his friend Gérard Dumas then worked with teens after graduating. The teens were creating fresco-type images on abandoned walls with paints, which inspired Prou and Dumas to action. In 1981, they decided to take it to the streets of Paris. Prou had seen graffiti art before- on the subway and basketball courts while on a trip to New York a decade before. After a fiasco with their first attempt in October 1981, he chose a different method than that of the New York “wild style” graffiti art- the stencil. He had seen stencils used for fascist propaganda as a child and despite their content, appreciated their aesthetic. Prou and Dumas were the first to use them for non-political purposes, and it was a success - stencils created clean and beautiful images, could be reproduced indefinitely, and were high speed- so less worry of police.

“We didn’t know how it was going to develop, but we did realize that we were developing something truly innovative,” Blek has said. “I never thought that I would live off of this, or that I would be known in the US or in London thanks to Banksy… I merely saw the breaking point: painting in your own studio and exhibiting in a gallery was not the future. It was a transition. Art became public; it was no longer reserved for an elite audience. There was a true democratization.”

Their first stencils were of black rats running along the walls. Sources claim multiple reasons for the choice of the rat. In Prou’s perspective, the rat was the “only free animal in the city,” would be the “only animal to survive the apocalypse,” and “spreads the plague everywhere, just like street art.” They symbolize both the urban environment and marginalized members of society. The word rat is also an anagram for the word art in French, an intended connection by the artist. The pair called themselves BLEK after an Italian comic from their childhood. With an untouched frontier of public space, and graffiti being so new in Paris, cops hardly ever disturbed them unless they wanted to know what they were doing and if it was political. For the first few years they would answer, “No, this is art,” and there would be no problems.

At the end of the winter in 1982, Gérard dropped out as he had other things to do. Prou went solo as Blek le Rat, and the city was his for the taking. He started painting his life-size stencils in 1983, which along with the rats have become his trademark, and have since influenced generations of street artists worldwide.

In the summer of 1984, the streets of Paris began to bloom with other stencil graffiti, and the cops started becoming aggressive. Blek was on the VLP's initiative, with Speedy Graphito, Kim Prisu, Miss Tic, SP 38, Epsylon Point, Jef Aérosol, Futura 2000, Nuklé-Art, and Banlieue-Banlieue in the first meeting of the graffiti and urban art movement in Bondy, France in 1985. In 1991, police arrested Blek in Les Halles and his identity was revealed. He had a short stay in the Tribunal de Grande Instance (Criminal Division) of Paris for property damage, but the judge, looking at the photo of the damage, said, “I can’t condemn it, it’s too beautiful.” Blek increased his awareness of the police, studying their attitudes, anticipating their rounds, and learning their holidays and patrols. He had friends watch streets he wanted to investigate and hid his materials under nearby cars. The amount of precaution he had to take became increasingly difficult, but his desire to express himself with paint in public spaces was stronger. At just the right moment, the pressure of hiding would release into a shower of creative energy.

In the mid-2000’s, Blek became more aware of his “power and responsibility as an artist working in the public space,” and his work became much more political. He denounced the war in Iraq in 2004. He pasted hundreds of prints of kidnapped journalist Florence Aubena’s face around Paris in 2005, and did a series portraying beggars trying to bring attention to the growing issue of homelessness. Many of his pieces show solitary individuals in opposition to larger, oppressive groups. In 2008, King Adz and Sybille Prou, Blek’s wife and mother of their child, published the book Blek le Rat: Getting Through Walls.

The interest in his stencils had been massive, but it eventually leveled out a bit, until anonymous British street artist Banksy came on the scene and brought the artistic technique back into style. According to Banksy’s book Wall and Piece, Blek is the one of two major inspirations for Banksy, especially visible in his stenciled rats. Banksy also wrote, ‘Every time I think I’ve painted something original I find out that Blek le Rat has done it as well, only 20 years earlier.’ Both street artists have expressed a mutual desire for collaboration, and in 2011, Blek added to a mural begun the previous year by Banksy in the Mission District of San Francisco.

Blek has said, “The graffiti movement has no other intention than to speak via pictures. Words for the community, words of love, words of hatred, of life and death. It’s just a fine and subtle kind of therapy and an attempt to fill the emptiness of this terrible world, to cover public space with pictures that people going to work can enjoy. But the authorities were not sympathetic to our cause and declared war on graffiti. They invented a lot of laws and waged war until every little stencil graffiti or art expression had been stripped of its soul. Young artists were threatened with punishments and fines completely out of proportion to the act. As if graffiti were more dangerous than drugs… But the immense desire to paint and to express themselves encourages artists to support one another. Doing it all around the world, they made this urban art into the biggest art movement of the 20th century. Urban art is still seen as a spreading blemish on the urban face. “Personally, I think the colors of our sprays help the urban landscape to bloom with poetic intentions,” Blek says.

Blek le Rat has created work and exhibited at galleries in London, Los Angeles, and Melbourne among others. His latest exhibition, Propoganda, in Milan in 2016, focused on the ambiguous meaning of the term propaganda and demonstrated the ability of street art to be both a state of freedom and propagation. Now in his 70’s, Blek continues to create work for galleries as well as in the street, sometimes subversively, and sometimes with permission from property owners. His innovation and determination have had a significant impact on the art world and his work continues to influence artists all over the world.

“I talk with people in the neighborhood and I watch their reactions without letting on that I’m the author of the piece. It’s the best part of graffiti: a moment of true happiness.” –Blek le Rat

Master street artist Blek le Rat was one of the very first, if not the first, true street artist in France, and is the “Father of Stencil Graffiti.” Xavier Prou was born in Paris in 1951 to an architect and the daughter of a French consul in Thailand. The risk-taking artist attended the famous École des Beaux-Arts in his twenties where he studied etching, lithography, serigraphy, and architecture, which sparked thought on public space. He and his friend Gérard Dumas then worked with teens after graduating. The teens were creating fresco-type images on abandoned walls with paints, which inspired Prou and Dumas to action. In 1981, they decided to take it to the streets of Paris. Prou had seen graffiti art before- on the subway and basketball courts while on a trip to New York a decade before. After a fiasco with their first attempt in October 1981, he chose a different method than that of the New York “wild style” graffiti art- the stencil. He had seen stencils used for fascist propaganda as a child and despite their content, appreciated their aesthetic. Prou and Dumas were the first to use them for non-political purposes, and it was a success - stencils created clean and beautiful images, could be reproduced indefinitely, and were high speed- so less worry of police.

“We didn’t know how it was going to develop, but we did realize that we were developing something truly innovative,” Blek has said. “I never thought that I would live off of this, or that I would be known in the US or in London thanks to Banksy… I merely saw the breaking point: painting in your own studio and exhibiting in a gallery was not the future. It was a transition. Art became public; it was no longer reserved for an elite audience. There was a true democratization.”

Their first stencils were of black rats running along the walls. Sources claim multiple reasons for the choice of the rat. In Prou’s perspective, the rat was the “only free animal in the city,” would be the “only animal to survive the apocalypse,” and “spreads the plague everywhere, just like street art.” They symbolize both the urban environment and marginalized members of society. The word rat is also an anagram for the word art in French, an intended connection by the artist. The pair called themselves BLEK after an Italian comic from their childhood. With an untouched frontier of public space, and graffiti being so new in Paris, cops hardly ever disturbed them unless they wanted to know what they were doing and if it was political. For the first few years they would answer, “No, this is art,” and there would be no problems.

At the end of the winter in 1982, Gérard dropped out as he had other things to do. Prou went solo as Blek le Rat, and the city was his for the taking. He started painting his life-size stencils in 1983, which along with the rats have become his trademark, and have since influenced generations of street artists worldwide.

In the summer of 1984, the streets of Paris began to bloom with other stencil graffiti, and the cops started becoming aggressive. Blek was on the VLP's initiative, with Speedy Graphito, Kim Prisu, Miss Tic, SP 38, Epsylon Point, Jef Aérosol, Futura 2000, Nuklé-Art, and Banlieue-Banlieue in the first meeting of the graffiti and urban art movement in Bondy, France in 1985. In 1991, police arrested Blek in Les Halles and his identity was revealed. He had a short stay in the Tribunal de Grande Instance (Criminal Division) of Paris for property damage, but the judge, looking at the photo of the damage, said, “I can’t condemn it, it’s too beautiful.” Blek increased his awareness of the police, studying their attitudes, anticipating their rounds, and learning their holidays and patrols. He had friends watch streets he wanted to investigate and hid his materials under nearby cars. The amount of precaution he had to take became increasingly difficult, but his desire to express himself with paint in public spaces was stronger. At just the right moment, the pressure of hiding would release into a shower of creative energy.

In the mid-2000’s, Blek became more aware of his “power and responsibility as an artist working in the public space,” and his work became much more political. He denounced the war in Iraq in 2004. He pasted hundreds of prints of kidnapped journalist Florence Aubena’s face around Paris in 2005, and did a series portraying beggars trying to bring attention to the growing issue of homelessness. Many of his pieces show solitary individuals in opposition to larger, oppressive groups. In 2008, King Adz and Sybille Prou, Blek’s wife and mother of their child, published the book Blek le Rat: Getting Through Walls.

The interest in his stencils had been massive, but it eventually leveled out a bit, until anonymous British street artist Banksy came on the scene and brought the artistic technique back into style. According to Banksy’s book Wall and Piece, Blek is the one of two major inspirations for Banksy, especially visible in his stenciled rats. Banksy also wrote, ‘Every time I think I’ve painted something original I find out that Blek le Rat has done it as well, only 20 years earlier.’ Both street artists have expressed a mutual desire for collaboration, and in 2011, Blek added to a mural begun the previous year by Banksy in the Mission District of San Francisco.

Blek has said, “The graffiti movement has no other intention than to speak via pictures. Words for the community, words of love, words of hatred, of life and death. It’s just a fine and subtle kind of therapy and an attempt to fill the emptiness of this terrible world, to cover public space with pictures that people going to work can enjoy. But the authorities were not sympathetic to our cause and declared war on graffiti. They invented a lot of laws and waged war until every little stencil graffiti or art expression had been stripped of its soul. Young artists were threatened with punishments and fines completely out of proportion to the act. As if graffiti were more dangerous than drugs… But the immense desire to paint and to express themselves encourages artists to support one another. Doing it all around the world, they made this urban art into the biggest art movement of the 20th century. Urban art is still seen as a spreading blemish on the urban face. “Personally, I think the colors of our sprays help the urban landscape to bloom with poetic intentions,” Blek says.

Blek le Rat has created work and exhibited at galleries in London, Los Angeles, and Melbourne among others. His latest exhibition, Propoganda, in Milan in 2016, focused on the ambiguous meaning of the term propaganda and demonstrated the ability of street art to be both a state of freedom and propagation. Now in his 70’s, Blek continues to create work for galleries as well as in the street, sometimes subversively, and sometimes with permission from property owners. His innovation and determination have had a significant impact on the art world and his work continues to influence artists all over the world.

“Art cannot be criticized because every mistake is a new creation.”

• Mr. Brainwash
  Mr. Brainwash, pseudonym for Thierry Guetta, is a major pop artist and videographer. His entertaining, vibrant, and meaningful artwork explores the intersection of graffiti art and pop art to make social commentary, and has become widely appreciated in the art world.
  Guetta was born in Paris, France, but moved to Los Angeles at age 15 with his family after the death of his mother. He attended Fairfax High School for roughly a year before he dropped out and began getting involved in and organizing events around Hollywood. He opened vintage clothing stores in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York before he started doing street art. He was an amateur videographer and always filming life.
  In 1999, a trip to France sparked the graffiti interest in Mr. Brainwash. Inspired when he realized the secret identity of his cousin as street artist Space Invader, he would follow and film Invader, Fairey, and other street artists creating their art. He became good friends with famous street artist, Banksy, in L.A. due to a chance meeting and Banksy’s need for a local source to help find good spots for some new pieces. They pulled off a Guantanamo Bay tribute at Disneyland, filmed by Banksy. After taking thousands of hours of video of street artists, Guetta edited them into a film, Life Remote Control, which as Banksy put it “was an hour and a half of unwatchable nightmare trailers”. After watching the film, Banksy told Guetta that maybe he should try his hand at street art instead, and he did.
  Mr. Brainwash came into existence almost overnight and began doing street art, with which he has been very successful. In 2009, Banksy and Mr. Brainwash also collaborated on Banksy’s show, Barely Legal, which celebrities and collectors attended. Afterward, the pair also worked on the Academy Award nominated documentary, Exit through the Gift Shop, which debuted at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Mr. Brainwash’s first show, Life is Beautiful, sold over a million dollars’ worth of art within a week of the show ending. Mr. Brainwash participates artistically in numerous fashion and music collaborations. He designed album covers for Madonna in 2009 and helped launch Ray Ban’s limited edition Artist Series in 2015. He is also involved with art projects that aim to raise public awareness. He is the creator of several murals, such as the giant mural commemorating the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, right by the World Trade Center in New York City. Today, Mr. Brainwash works and resides in Los Angeles. His artistic vision continues to have an impact across the world.

“Art cannot be criticized because every mistake is a new creation.”

• Mr. Brainwash
  Mr. Brainwash, pseudonym for Thierry Guetta, is a major pop artist and videographer. His entertaining, vibrant, and meaningful artwork explores the intersection of graffiti art and pop art to make social commentary, and has become widely appreciated in the art world.
  Guetta was born in Paris, France, but moved to Los Angeles at age 15 with his family after the death of his mother. He attended Fairfax High School for roughly a year before he dropped out and began getting involved in and organizing events around Hollywood. He opened vintage clothing stores in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York before he started doing street art. He was an amateur videographer and always filming life.
  In 1999, a trip to France sparked the graffiti interest in Mr. Brainwash. Inspired when he realized the secret identity of his cousin as street artist Space Invader, he would follow and film Invader, Fairey, and other street artists creating their art. He became good friends with famous street artist, Banksy, in L.A. due to a chance meeting and Banksy’s need for a local source to help find good spots for some new pieces. They pulled off a Guantanamo Bay tribute at Disneyland, filmed by Banksy. After taking thousands of hours of video of street artists, Guetta edited them into a film, Life Remote Control, which as Banksy put it “was an hour and a half of unwatchable nightmare trailers”. After watching the film, Banksy told Guetta that maybe he should try his hand at street art instead, and he did.
  Mr. Brainwash came into existence almost overnight and began doing street art, with which he has been very successful. In 2009, Banksy and Mr. Brainwash also collaborated on Banksy’s show, Barely Legal, which celebrities and collectors attended. Afterward, the pair also worked on the Academy Award nominated documentary, Exit through the Gift Shop, which debuted at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Mr. Brainwash’s first show, Life is Beautiful, sold over a million dollars’ worth of art within a week of the show ending. Mr. Brainwash participates artistically in numerous fashion and music collaborations. He designed album covers for Madonna in 2009 and helped launch Ray Ban’s limited edition Artist Series in 2015. He is also involved with art projects that aim to raise public awareness. He is the creator of several murals, such as the giant mural commemorating the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, right by the World Trade Center in New York City. Today, Mr. Brainwash works and resides in Los Angeles. His artistic vision continues to have an impact across the world.

“The important thing is to remember what most impressed you and to put it on canvas as fast as possible… If you paint directly from a subject, your thoughts about the subject change as you paint.” - Bonnard

Post-Impressionist, Symbolist illustrator, and printmaker Pierre Bonnard was a leading figure in early modern art. The common trajectory of modern art largely begins in France with Impressionism, which gained a foothold in the 1860s, and traces through to the Cubist movement, which started in 1907. However, there is another more international route that started with Romanticism (1800-1850) and moved through Symbolism (1886-1900). As they existed contemporaneously, they were not exclusive of each other’s influence, and both led to Expressionism. Bonnard engaged with both, although he never belonged to just one artistic movement. He was a Post-Impressionist, reacting against some elements of Impressionism (which had come from Realism and was a formal exploration attempting the visual effects of nature). He was also an important member of Les Nabis, an avant-garde Symbolist group of young painters. Symbolists downplayed reality to include more emotion, whereas their predecessor, Romanticism, had celebrated emotion in a more traditional way, and the later Expressionism would reject realism in favor of total emotion.

“Truth exists, only falsehood has to be invented.”

• Georges Braque
  Georges Braque, the infamous artist and co-creator of Cubism, was born in 1882 in Argenteuil, Val-d’Oise and raised in Le Havre. There he trained to follow his father and grandfather’s footsteps to become a house painter and decorator. From 1897 to 1899 he practiced serious painting at the École des Beaux-Arts in the evenings. He relocated to Paris, where he earned a decorator certificate in 1902, and became acquainted with Marie Laurencin and Francis Picabia at the Académie Humbert.
  Early in his career, Braque painted mostly with an impressionistic style. However, an artistic group named the Fauves caught his eye, and he turned to Fauvism in 1905. Fauvism utilizes bright colors with loose form to evoke strong emotion. As early as 1907, Braque exhibited his first Fauvist works at the Salon des Indépendants. During the same year, artist Paul Cézanne greatly influenced him. Cézanne’s work would become a component of the inspiration for the Cubism movement.
  Beginning in 1909 Braque worked closely with Pablo Picasso, so much so that Braque described the relationship “like being roped together on a mountain.” Their work even became indistinguishable at one point in time. Cubism was founded upon Braque’s vision of contemplation and Picasso’s celebration of animation. They collaborated with collage and Braque invented a style called papier collé. Cubism spread like wildfire through Paris and Europe. The two founders were side by side until 1914 when Braque enlisted with the French Army to fight in World War I. It was the last time the duo would work together. Braque returned to his life as a painter in late 1916 after suffering a severe head injury during battle, which had caused temporary loss of eyesight. Braque produced many of his illustrations and lithographs at the Mourlot Studios, the largest and most famous print shop of the 20th century, and also introduced Picasso to Fernand Mourlot. Towards the end of his career, retrospective exhibitions honored Braque worldwide. He continued to work for the duration of his life creating sculptures, graphic work, and paintings, and passed at age 81 from a stroke as he was looking at his garden from his studio window. His work remains in major museums globally, and will inspire for generations to come.

“Truth exists, only falsehood has to be invented.”

• Georges Braque
  Georges Braque, the infamous artist and co-creator of Cubism, was born in 1882 in Argenteuil, Val-d’Oise and raised in Le Havre. There he trained to follow his father and grandfather’s footsteps to become a house painter and decorator. From 1897 to 1899 he practiced serious painting at the École des Beaux-Arts in the evenings. He relocated to Paris, where he earned a decorator certificate in 1902, and became acquainted with Marie Laurencin and Francis Picabia at the Académie Humbert.
  Early in his career, Braque painted mostly with an impressionistic style. However, an artistic group named the Fauves caught his eye, and he turned to Fauvism in 1905. Fauvism utilizes bright colors with loose form to evoke strong emotion. As early as 1907, Braque exhibited his first Fauvist works at the Salon des Indépendants. During the same year, artist Paul Cézanne greatly influenced him. Cézanne’s work would become a component of the inspiration for the Cubism movement.
  Beginning in 1909 Braque worked closely with Pablo Picasso, so much so that Braque described the relationship “like being roped together on a mountain.” Their work even became indistinguishable at one point in time. Cubism was founded upon Braque’s vision of contemplation and Picasso’s celebration of animation. They collaborated with collage and Braque invented a style called papier collé. Cubism spread like wildfire through Paris and Europe. The two founders were side by side until 1914 when Braque enlisted with the French Army to fight in World War I. It was the last time the duo would work together. Braque returned to his life as a painter in late 1916 after suffering a severe head injury during battle, which had caused temporary loss of eyesight. Braque produced many of his illustrations and lithographs at the Mourlot Studios, the largest and most famous print shop of the 20th century, and also introduced Picasso to Fernand Mourlot. Towards the end of his career, retrospective exhibitions honored Braque worldwide. He continued to work for the duration of his life creating sculptures, graphic work, and paintings, and passed at age 81 from a stroke as he was looking at his garden from his studio window. His work remains in major museums globally, and will inspire for generations to come.

“Truth exists, only falsehood has to be invented.”

• Georges Braque
  Georges Braque, the infamous artist and co-creator of Cubism, was born in 1882 in Argenteuil, Val-d’Oise and raised in Le Havre. There he trained to follow his father and grandfather’s footsteps to become a house painter and decorator. From 1897 to 1899 he practiced serious painting at the École des Beaux-Arts in the evenings. He relocated to Paris, where he earned a decorator certificate in 1902, and became acquainted with Marie Laurencin and Francis Picabia at the Académie Humbert.
  Early in his career, Braque painted mostly with an impressionistic style. However, an artistic group named the Fauves caught his eye, and he turned to Fauvism in 1905. Fauvism utilizes bright colors with loose form to evoke strong emotion. As early as 1907, Braque exhibited his first Fauvist works at the Salon des Indépendants. During the same year, artist Paul Cézanne greatly influenced him. Cézanne’s work would become a component of the inspiration for the Cubism movement.
  Beginning in 1909 Braque worked closely with Pablo Picasso, so much so that Braque described the relationship “like being roped together on a mountain.” Their work even became indistinguishable at one point in time. Cubism was founded upon Braque’s vision of contemplation and Picasso’s celebration of animation. They collaborated with collage and Braque invented a style called papier collé. Cubism spread like wildfire through Paris and Europe. The two founders were side by side until 1914 when Braque enlisted with the French Army to fight in World War I. It was the last time the duo would work together. Braque returned to his life as a painter in late 1916 after suffering a severe head injury during battle, which had caused temporary loss of eyesight. Braque produced many of his illustrations and lithographs at the Mourlot Studios, the largest and most famous print shop of the 20th century, and also introduced Picasso to Fernand Mourlot. Towards the end of his career, retrospective exhibitions honored Braque worldwide. He continued to work for the duration of his life creating sculptures, graphic work, and paintings, and passed at age 81 from a stroke as he was looking at his garden from his studio window. His work remains in major museums globally, and will inspire for generations to come.

“Truth exists, only falsehood has to be invented.”

• Georges Braque
  Georges Braque, the infamous artist and co-creator of Cubism, was born in 1882 in Argenteuil, Val-d’Oise and raised in Le Havre. There he trained to follow his father and grandfather’s footsteps to become a house painter and decorator. From 1897 to 1899 he practiced serious painting at the École des Beaux-Arts in the evenings. He relocated to Paris, where he earned a decorator certificate in 1902, and became acquainted with Marie Laurencin and Francis Picabia at the Académie Humbert.
  Early in his career, Braque painted mostly with an impressionistic style. However, an artistic group named the Fauves caught his eye, and he turned to Fauvism in 1905. Fauvism utilizes bright colors with loose form to evoke strong emotion. As early as 1907, Braque exhibited his first Fauvist works at the Salon des Indépendants. During the same year, artist Paul Cézanne greatly influenced him. Cézanne’s work would become a component of the inspiration for the Cubism movement.
  Beginning in 1909 Braque worked closely with Pablo Picasso, so much so that Braque described the relationship “like being roped together on a mountain.” Their work even became indistinguishable at one point in time. Cubism was founded upon Braque’s vision of contemplation and Picasso’s celebration of animation. They collaborated with collage and Braque invented a style called papier collé. Cubism spread like wildfire through Paris and Europe. The two founders were side by side until 1914 when Braque enlisted with the French Army to fight in World War I. It was the last time the duo would work together. Braque returned to his life as a painter in late 1916 after suffering a severe head injury during battle, which had caused temporary loss of eyesight. Braque produced many of his illustrations and lithographs at the Mourlot Studios, the largest and most famous print shop of the 20th century, and also introduced Picasso to Fernand Mourlot. Towards the end of his career, retrospective exhibitions honored Braque worldwide. He continued to work for the duration of his life creating sculptures, graphic work, and paintings, and passed at age 81 from a stroke as he was looking at his garden from his studio window. His work remains in major museums globally, and will inspire for generations to come.

“Truth exists, only falsehood has to be invented.”

• Georges Braque
  Georges Braque, the infamous artist and co-creator of Cubism, was born in 1882 in Argenteuil, Val-d’Oise and raised in Le Havre. There he trained to follow his father and grandfather’s footsteps to become a house painter and decorator. From 1897 to 1899 he practiced serious painting at the École des Beaux-Arts in the evenings. He relocated to Paris, where he earned a decorator certificate in 1902, and became acquainted with Marie Laurencin and Francis Picabia at the Académie Humbert.
  Early in his career, Braque painted mostly with an impressionistic style. However, an artistic group named the Fauves caught his eye, and he turned to Fauvism in 1905. Fauvism utilizes bright colors with loose form to evoke strong emotion. As early as 1907, Braque exhibited his first Fauvist works at the Salon des Indépendants. During the same year, artist Paul Cézanne greatly influenced him. Cézanne’s work would become a component of the inspiration for the Cubism movement.
  Beginning in 1909 Braque worked closely with Pablo Picasso, so much so that Braque described the relationship “like being roped together on a mountain.” Their work even became indistinguishable at one point in time. Cubism was founded upon Braque’s vision of contemplation and Picasso’s celebration of animation. They collaborated with collage and Braque invented a style called papier collé. Cubism spread like wildfire through Paris and Europe. The two founders were side by side until 1914 when Braque enlisted with the French Army to fight in World War I. It was the last time the duo would work together. Braque returned to his life as a painter in late 1916 after suffering a severe head injury during battle, which had caused temporary loss of eyesight. Braque produced many of his illustrations and lithographs at the Mourlot Studios, the largest and most famous print shop of the 20th century, and also introduced Picasso to Fernand Mourlot. Towards the end of his career, retrospective exhibitions honored Braque worldwide. He continued to work for the duration of his life creating sculptures, graphic work, and paintings, and passed at age 81 from a stroke as he was looking at his garden from his studio window. His work remains in major museums globally, and will inspire for generations to come.

“Truth exists, only falsehood has to be invented.”

• Georges Braque
  Georges Braque, the infamous artist and co-creator of Cubism, was born in 1882 in Argenteuil, Val-d’Oise and raised in Le Havre. There he trained to follow his father and grandfather’s footsteps to become a house painter and decorator. From 1897 to 1899 he practiced serious painting at the École des Beaux-Arts in the evenings. He relocated to Paris, where he earned a decorator certificate in 1902, and became acquainted with Marie Laurencin and Francis Picabia at the Académie Humbert.
  Early in his career, Braque painted mostly with an impressionistic style. However, an artistic group named the Fauves caught his eye, and he turned to Fauvism in 1905. Fauvism utilizes bright colors with loose form to evoke strong emotion. As early as 1907, Braque exhibited his first Fauvist works at the Salon des Indépendants. During the same year, artist Paul Cézanne greatly influenced him. Cézanne’s work would become a component of the inspiration for the Cubism movement.
  Beginning in 1909 Braque worked closely with Pablo Picasso, so much so that Braque described the relationship “like being roped together on a mountain.” Their work even became indistinguishable at one point in time. Cubism was founded upon Braque’s vision of contemplation and Picasso’s celebration of animation. They collaborated with collage and Braque invented a style called papier collé. Cubism spread like wildfire through Paris and Europe. The two founders were side by side until 1914 when Braque enlisted with the French Army to fight in World War I. It was the last time the duo would work together. Braque returned to his life as a painter in late 1916 after suffering a severe head injury during battle, which had caused temporary loss of eyesight. Braque produced many of his illustrations and lithographs at the Mourlot Studios, the largest and most famous print shop of the 20th century, and also introduced Picasso to Fernand Mourlot. Towards the end of his career, retrospective exhibitions honored Braque worldwide. He continued to work for the duration of his life creating sculptures, graphic work, and paintings, and passed at age 81 from a stroke as he was looking at his garden from his studio window. His work remains in major museums globally, and will inspire for generations to come.

“If I create from the heart, nearly everything works. If from the head, almost nothing.”
-Marc Chagall

In an age of constant change, Marc Chagall's single vision was a breath of fresh air. For all of the styles and movements that the art world witnessed during the 20th century, rarely did a single artist defy comparison, fit no mold, and standalone like Marc Chagall. Almost every work of art created by the hand of Chagall reads like poetry. Each element infused into his paintings complements one another to create harmonious, lyrical, and balanced compositions. He worked in practically every medium; he made paintings, illustrations, etchings, glasswork, ceramics, tapestries, and more. Chagall’s artworks, regardless of the media, are filled with the everlasting essence of life. He was both a pioneer of modern art and a major figure in Jewish art, and has been described as “the quintessential Jewish artist of the 20th century.”

“If I create from the heart, nearly everything works. If from the head, almost nothing.”
-Marc Chagall

In an age of constant change, Marc Chagall's single vision was a breath of fresh air. For all of the styles and movements that the art world witnessed during the 20th century, rarely did a single artist defy comparison, fit no mold, and standalone like Marc Chagall. Almost every work of art created by the hand of Chagall reads like poetry. Each element infused into his paintings complements one another to create harmonious, lyrical, and balanced compositions. He worked in practically every medium; he made paintings, illustrations, etchings, glasswork, ceramics, tapestries, and more. Chagall’s artworks, regardless of the media, are filled with the everlasting essence of life. He was both a pioneer of modern art and a major figure in Jewish art, and has been described as “the quintessential Jewish artist of the 20th century.”

“If I create from the heart, nearly everything works. If from the head, almost nothing.”
-Marc Chagall

In an age of constant change, Marc Chagall's single vision was a breath of fresh air. For all of the styles and movements that the art world witnessed during the 20th century, rarely did a single artist defy comparison, fit no mold, and standalone like Marc Chagall. Almost every work of art created by the hand of Chagall reads like poetry. Each element infused into his paintings complements one another to create harmonious, lyrical, and balanced compositions. He worked in practically every medium; he made paintings, illustrations, etchings, glasswork, ceramics, tapestries, and more. Chagall’s artworks, regardless of the media, are filled with the everlasting essence of life. He was both a pioneer of modern art and a major figure in Jewish art, and has been described as “the quintessential Jewish artist of the 20th century.”

“If I create from the heart, nearly everything works. If from the head, almost nothing.”
-Marc Chagall

In an age of constant change, Marc Chagall's single vision was a breath of fresh air. For all of the styles and movements that the art world witnessed during the 20th century, rarely did a single artist defy comparison, fit no mold, and standalone like Marc Chagall. Almost every work of art created by the hand of Chagall reads like poetry. Each element infused into his paintings complements one another to create harmonious, lyrical, and balanced compositions. He worked in practically every medium; he made paintings, illustrations, etchings, glasswork, ceramics, tapestries, and more. Chagall’s artworks, regardless of the media, are filled with the everlasting essence of life. He was both a pioneer of modern art and a major figure in Jewish art, and has been described as “the quintessential Jewish artist of the 20th century.”

“If I create from the heart, nearly everything works. If from the head, almost nothing.”
-Marc Chagall

In an age of constant change, Marc Chagall's single vision was a breath of fresh air. For all of the styles and movements that the art world witnessed during the 20th century, rarely did a single artist defy comparison, fit no mold, and standalone like Marc Chagall. Almost every work of art created by the hand of Chagall reads like poetry. Each element infused into his paintings complements one another to create harmonious, lyrical, and balanced compositions. He worked in practically every medium; he made paintings, illustrations, etchings, glasswork, ceramics, tapestries, and more. Chagall’s artworks, regardless of the media, are filled with the everlasting essence of life. He was both a pioneer of modern art and a major figure in Jewish art, and has been described as “the quintessential Jewish artist of the 20th century.”

“If I create from the heart, nearly everything works. If from the head, almost nothing.”
-Marc Chagall

In an age of constant change, Marc Chagall's single vision was a breath of fresh air. For all of the styles and movements that the art world witnessed during the 20th century, rarely did a single artist defy comparison, fit no mold, and standalone like Marc Chagall. Almost every work of art created by the hand of Chagall reads like poetry. Each element infused into his paintings complements one another to create harmonious, lyrical, and balanced compositions. He worked in practically every medium; he made paintings, illustrations, etchings, glasswork, ceramics, tapestries, and more. Chagall’s artworks, regardless of the media, are filled with the everlasting essence of life. He was both a pioneer of modern art and a major figure in Jewish art, and has been described as “the quintessential Jewish artist of the 20th century.”

“If I create from the heart, nearly everything works. If from the head, almost nothing.”
-Marc Chagall

In an age of constant change, Marc Chagall's single vision was a breath of fresh air. For all of the styles and movements that the art world witnessed during the 20th century, rarely did a single artist defy comparison, fit no mold, and standalone like Marc Chagall. Almost every work of art created by the hand of Chagall reads like poetry. Each element infused into his paintings complements one another to create harmonious, lyrical, and balanced compositions. He worked in practically every medium; he made paintings, illustrations, etchings, glasswork, ceramics, tapestries, and more. Chagall’s artworks, regardless of the media, are filled with the everlasting essence of life. He was both a pioneer of modern art and a major figure in Jewish art, and has been described as “the quintessential Jewish artist of the 20th century.”

“If I create from the heart, nearly everything works. If from the head, almost nothing.”
-Marc Chagall

In an age of constant change, Marc Chagall's single vision was a breath of fresh air. For all of the styles and movements that the art world witnessed during the 20th century, rarely did a single artist defy comparison, fit no mold, and standalone like Marc Chagall. Almost every work of art created by the hand of Chagall reads like poetry. Each element infused into his paintings complements one another to create harmonious, lyrical, and balanced compositions. He worked in practically every medium; he made paintings, illustrations, etchings, glasswork, ceramics, tapestries, and more. Chagall’s artworks, regardless of the media, are filled with the everlasting essence of life. He was both a pioneer of modern art and a major figure in Jewish art, and has been described as “the quintessential Jewish artist of the 20th century.”

“If I create from the heart, nearly everything works. If from the head, almost nothing.”
-Marc Chagall

In an age of constant change, Marc Chagall's single vision was a breath of fresh air. For all of the styles and movements that the art world witnessed during the 20th century, rarely did a single artist defy comparison, fit no mold, and standalone like Marc Chagall. Almost every work of art created by the hand of Chagall reads like poetry. Each element infused into his paintings complements one another to create harmonious, lyrical, and balanced compositions. He worked in practically every medium; he made paintings, illustrations, etchings, glasswork, ceramics, tapestries, and more. Chagall’s artworks, regardless of the media, are filled with the everlasting essence of life. He was both a pioneer of modern art and a major figure in Jewish art, and has been described as “the quintessential Jewish artist of the 20th century.”

“If I create from the heart, nearly everything works. If from the head, almost nothing.”
-Marc Chagall

In an age of constant change, Marc Chagall's single vision was a breath of fresh air. For all of the styles and movements that the art world witnessed during the 20th century, rarely did a single artist defy comparison, fit no mold, and standalone like Marc Chagall. Almost every work of art created by the hand of Chagall reads like poetry. Each element infused into his paintings complements one another to create harmonious, lyrical, and balanced compositions. He worked in practically every medium; he made paintings, illustrations, etchings, glasswork, ceramics, tapestries, and more. Chagall’s artworks, regardless of the media, are filled with the everlasting essence of life. He was both a pioneer of modern art and a major figure in Jewish art, and has been described as “the quintessential Jewish artist of the 20th century.”

“If I create from the heart, nearly everything works. If from the head, almost nothing.”
-Marc Chagall

In an age of constant change, Marc Chagall's single vision was a breath of fresh air. For all of the styles and movements that the art world witnessed during the 20th century, rarely did a single artist defy comparison, fit no mold, and standalone like Marc Chagall. Almost every work of art created by the hand of Chagall reads like poetry. Each element infused into his paintings complements one another to create harmonious, lyrical, and balanced compositions. He worked in practically every medium; he made paintings, illustrations, etchings, glasswork, ceramics, tapestries, and more. Chagall’s artworks, regardless of the media, are filled with the everlasting essence of life. He was both a pioneer of modern art and a major figure in Jewish art, and has been described as “the quintessential Jewish artist of the 20th century.”

“If I create from the heart, nearly everything works. If from the head, almost nothing.”
-Marc Chagall

In an age of constant change, Marc Chagall's single vision was a breath of fresh air. For all of the styles and movements that the art world witnessed during the 20th century, rarely did a single artist defy comparison, fit no mold, and standalone like Marc Chagall. Almost every work of art created by the hand of Chagall reads like poetry. Each element infused into his paintings complements one another to create harmonious, lyrical, and balanced compositions. He worked in practically every medium; he made paintings, illustrations, etchings, glasswork, ceramics, tapestries, and more. Chagall’s artworks, regardless of the media, are filled with the everlasting essence of life. He was both a pioneer of modern art and a major figure in Jewish art, and has been described as “the quintessential Jewish artist of the 20th century.”

Ronald Chapeau was born in 1969 in The Hague, Netherlands. He has been a professional screen printer for many years. Ronald chose, a few years ago, to combine his artistic insight, creativity, and his passion for art on the canvas. Due to his many years of experience as a screen printer for Herman Brood & Corneille, among others, he knows how to apply a great technique to his contemporary and modern works of art.
From unique announcement posters to old newspapers from all over the world, Chapeau’s work is widely appreciated. Only original details are added to the small editions that simultaneously appear Pop Art, Surrealist, Figurative, and Populist.

The “father of the modern poster,” Jules Chéret, was a French painter, lithographer, and master of the popular art nouveau style in 19th century Europe. Chéret contributed largely to the art of La Belle Époque, or the “Beautiful Age,” a period following the Franco-Prussian war characterized by general optimism, peace, and a flourishing art culture in France. Influenced by the whimsical and ornamental Rococo art as well as the flat colors of Japanese woodblocks, Chéret’s works displayed glowing yet delicate tones of reds, pinks, and yellows contrasted by blue outlines and washes. He often illustrated modestly exuberant women engaging in taboo behavior like smoking in public or wearing low-cut bodices, contrary to earlier depictions of women in art as prostitutes or puritans. Characteristic of Chéret’s works, Parisian’s referred to these illustrated ladies as “Cherettes,” and Chéret would be viewed as a significant figure in women’s liberation at the time. Cherettes were often dancing or celebrating, dressed in masks and fancy gowns framed by French advertisements. As his career developed, Chéret became a major advertising force, creating posters for festivals, beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceutical products, railroad companies, and manufacturing businesses. His legacy is unique, as it surrounds his success in merging artistic innovation into post-war French commerce and marketing.

“Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.” – Edgar Degas

Edgar Degas was a French Impressionist, recognized primarily for his pastel and oil paintings, though he experimented with an incredible range of media throughout his career. His oeuvre includes sculpture, printed works, and drawings, as well as portrait photography. Degas captured a plethora of subject matter within the realm of Parisian life, such as female nudes, racing sports, and social gatherings. More than half of his oeuvre depicts dancers, as their movement and attire seemed to fascinate the artist. Degas has consistently been called an Impressionist, though he rejected the term and its insufficiency in describing his work. He also spoke against the “plein-air” painting techniques that the Impressionists used, which lead to conflict among many of his contemporaries. Degas had a tendency for isolation and anti-social behaviors throughout his career, which he expressed through his portraiture. Edgar Degas was highly revered during and after his lifetime as a classical painter of modern life, becoming one of the first to bridge the gap between traditional art and the radical movements of the 20th century. 
The oldest of five children, Edgar was born on July 19, 1834 in Paris, France to a moderately wealthy family. His father, a banker, enrolled Edgar into the boys’ school Lycée Louis-le-Grand at age 11, where he received a conventional education. Degas’ mother passed away when he was 13, leaving him and his siblings under the guidance of their father. By the age of 18, Degas graduated with a degree in literature and had created an art studio in his home, although his father enforced further education in law. Degas enrolled at the University of Paris where he paid little attention to his studies. In 1855, finally with his father’s support, Degas was admitted to the École des Beaux-Arts, but he would abandon his formal studies altogether in 1856 to travel Italy for three years. With a deep understanding of the Old Masters, Degas returned to Paris in 1859, and embarked on his art career. Early works during this period consisted of historical and war paintings that didn’t gain much popularity. The artist had his first exhibition at the Paris Salon in 1865 with Scene of War in the Middle Ages, and he exhibited annually for the next five years, though his works often went unnoticed. 
Upon the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, Degas enlisted in the National Guard where he learned that his eyesight was defective, a problem that would slowly affect the rest of his life. He returned to Paris in 1873, followed by the death of his father the following year. Financial issues with his brother caused Degas to lose most of his inheritance, and for the first time in his life, he became fully dependent on art sales. Heavily influenced by Japanese woodblock prints, Degas lightened his color palette and simplified his compositions. During this period, he began to identify himself with the theme of ballet paintings. Degas, unhappy with the politics of the Salon, joined the newly developed Impressionist group as a primary organizer of many of their events. His time with the Impressionists influenced his abandonment of themes of social life and scenery, as he began to focus on intimate depictions of the human figure and the female form, in particular. His exhibition with the Impressionists in 1886 featured a collection of pastel works depicting women bathing and drying themselves, which met with some controversy. That same year, the Impressionist group disbanded, and Degas continued to promote and exhibit his work independently. Fighting the decline of his eyesight, Degas worked primarily with pastels and sculpture toward the end of his career, until he completely stopped working around 1912. His exit from the art world left him alone and nearly blind until he died on September 27, 1917 at the age of 83. 
Degas lived by the idea that a true artist must be alone and keep his affairs private, causing him to isolate himself for most of his life. He never left his studio to work, contrary to his contemporaries that often travelled or worked outside. Degas was known for his cruel wit and controversial opinions about the art world. Though he rejected many attributes of the Impressionists, he continues to be recognized as one of the group’s greatest members. Degas’ anti-Semitic views and antagonism towards women also left him alienated in his later years, and he never married, though close peers like Impressionist Mary Cassatt vouched for his loyalty as a friend. The artist was also an avid collector of his contemporaries, including his lifelong idols Delacroix and Ingres. Despite his reputation, Degas will remain one of the most influential painters of the 20th century, merging traditional, technical skill with his unique, modern approach. 

Degas’ works continue to be displayed in countless museums and exhibitions around the world, including at: Picasso Museum in Barcelona, National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, Glyptotek in Denmark, and Morgan Library in New York City.

“We suddenly jumped fifty years into the past. No more cars in the streets, very few lights. Paris suddenly became very quiet, very dark, and, though people were afraid, there was a brotherhood and spirit that was very delightful” - Delacroix

A self-styled "painter of dreams and of the poetic past," Michel Delacroix, celebrated master of the naïf tradition, has devoted five decades to painting a city he calls "the Paris of then." This is the magical place where he was born, where he spent his boyhood, and where he continues to find inspiration to this day. His charming historical scenes of Paris capture nostalgic and romantic moments. Memories of the stories Delacroix’s nanny told him about Paris before World War I are combined with his own early recollections. He painted only the splendor - horse drawn carriages, gas-lit lamps, hot air balloons, and bustling crowds. Although Paris has changed over the years, Delacroix’s scenes maintain timelessness because of the naïf tradition in which he paints. His style has been called “naïve” because of his candidness, however, his works are created with the skill and knowledge of a well-educated artist. He imbues each image with an intimate quality as he conveys the idealism of an era past. His skillful paint application, precise details, and subtle palette are beautiful and captivating.

“We suddenly jumped fifty years into the past. No more cars in the streets, very few lights. Paris suddenly became very quiet, very dark, and, though people were afraid, there was a brotherhood and spirit that was very delightful” - Delacroix

A self-styled "painter of dreams and of the poetic past," Michel Delacroix, celebrated master of the naïf tradition, has devoted five decades to painting a city he calls "the Paris of then." This is the magical place where he was born, where he spent his boyhood, and where he continues to find inspiration to this day. His charming historical scenes of Paris capture nostalgic and romantic moments. Memories of the stories Delacroix’s nanny told him about Paris before World War I are combined with his own early recollections. He painted only the splendor - horse drawn carriages, gas-lit lamps, hot air balloons, and bustling crowds. Although Paris has changed over the years, Delacroix’s scenes maintain timelessness because of the naïf tradition in which he paints. His style has been called “naïve” because of his candidness, however, his works are created with the skill and knowledge of a well-educated artist. He imbues each image with an intimate quality as he conveys the idealism of an era past. His skillful paint application, precise details, and subtle palette are beautiful and captivating.

“We suddenly jumped fifty years into the past. No more cars in the streets, very few lights. Paris suddenly became very quiet, very dark, and, though people were afraid, there was a brotherhood and spirit that was very delightful” - Delacroix

A self-styled "painter of dreams and of the poetic past," Michel Delacroix, celebrated master of the naïf tradition, has devoted five decades to painting a city he calls "the Paris of then." This is the magical place where he was born, where he spent his boyhood, and where he continues to find inspiration to this day. His charming historical scenes of Paris capture nostalgic and romantic moments. Memories of the stories Delacroix’s nanny told him about Paris before World War I are combined with his own early recollections. He painted only the splendor - horse drawn carriages, gas-lit lamps, hot air balloons, and bustling crowds. Although Paris has changed over the years, Delacroix’s scenes maintain timelessness because of the naïf tradition in which he paints. His style has been called “naïve” because of his candidness, however, his works are created with the skill and knowledge of a well-educated artist. He imbues each image with an intimate quality as he conveys the idealism of an era past. His skillful paint application, precise details, and subtle palette are beautiful and captivating.

“We suddenly jumped fifty years into the past. No more cars in the streets, very few lights. Paris suddenly became very quiet, very dark, and, though people were afraid, there was a brotherhood and spirit that was very delightful” - Delacroix

A self-styled "painter of dreams and of the poetic past," Michel Delacroix, celebrated master of the naïf tradition, has devoted five decades to painting a city he calls "the Paris of then." This is the magical place where he was born, where he spent his boyhood, and where he continues to find inspiration to this day. His charming historical scenes of Paris capture nostalgic and romantic moments. Memories of the stories Delacroix’s nanny told him about Paris before World War I are combined with his own early recollections. He painted only the splendor - horse drawn carriages, gas-lit lamps, hot air balloons, and bustling crowds. Although Paris has changed over the years, Delacroix’s scenes maintain timelessness because of the naïf tradition in which he paints. His style has been called “naïve” because of his candidness, however, his works are created with the skill and knowledge of a well-educated artist. He imbues each image with an intimate quality as he conveys the idealism of an era past. His skillful paint application, precise details, and subtle palette are beautiful and captivating.

“We suddenly jumped fifty years into the past. No more cars in the streets, very few lights. Paris suddenly became very quiet, very dark, and, though people were afraid, there was a brotherhood and spirit that was very delightful” - Delacroix

A self-styled "painter of dreams and of the poetic past," Michel Delacroix, celebrated master of the naïf tradition, has devoted five decades to painting a city he calls "the Paris of then." This is the magical place where he was born, where he spent his boyhood, and where he continues to find inspiration to this day. His charming historical scenes of Paris capture nostalgic and romantic moments. Memories of the stories Delacroix’s nanny told him about Paris before World War I are combined with his own early recollections. He painted only the splendor - horse drawn carriages, gas-lit lamps, hot air balloons, and bustling crowds. Although Paris has changed over the years, Delacroix’s scenes maintain timelessness because of the naïf tradition in which he paints. His style has been called “naïve” because of his candidness, however, his works are created with the skill and knowledge of a well-educated artist. He imbues each image with an intimate quality as he conveys the idealism of an era past. His skillful paint application, precise details, and subtle palette are beautiful and captivating.

Emile Victor Delobre (1873-1956) was born in Paris, France. At age 14, he was already enrolled in the Ecole des Decoratifs, and by 17, he was studying at the Beaux-Arts. There he was instructed and inspired by the remarkable Gustave Moreau, among others. His fellow-classmates included, Matisse, Marquet, Roualt, Dufy, and Manguin.

 Mentioned in the Benezit, the French encyclopedia of great painters, he was the recipient of prizes at the Beaux-Arts, and later was acclaimed when he chose to exhibit at the Paris Salons. According to Christopher Wright, art historian, author, and writer for the Los Angeles Times, Emile was "an accomplished painter." Wright attributes La Tours' The Fortune Teller, a painting acquired for $650,000 by the Metropolitan Museum in New York, to Emile Delobre. Nathan Wildenstein discovered him while "...he was in the Louvre, copying a picture with his accustomed skill and accuracy...” and he was so impressed that, then and there, he asked Delobre to come to work for him." Delobre worked at Wildenstein's gallery as a consultant-restorer until he retired at 72.

 A prolific artist of the Impressionist School, Emile Delobre's quest for the interesting landscape often took him to the countryside of France: Normandy, with its fishing villages and orchards; the Loire Valley, with its rolling rivers; and the south of France with its sunny beaches. He also traveled outside the country to Italy, Holland and Tunisia which inspired many of his paintings.

 Delobre's many portraits of his family, with whom he lived his whole life, include his sisters, parents and nephew whom he raised. Here we find the intimacy and affection reflective of a gentle and harmonious life. His revealing, yet mysterious self-portraits provide the viewer with a pictorial chronology of himself through the years until his old age. His vast repertoire of classically posed nudes is painted with a reverence for the beautiful.

 Emile Delobre lived a modest life. Perhaps, overshadowed by the artistic giants of his age, he comes to us to be rediscovered as a painter of great sensitivity and grace. His purpose in painting seems not to have been to revolutionize art, but rather, to reaffirm it as the representation of all that man finds beautiful and inspiring. As Emile Delobre emerges from obscurity, we find a master of the impressionist technique, committed to the traditions of art and devoted to the expression of universal sentiment.

The still life and nude compositions of internationally acclaimed artist Claude Gaveau invite the viewer into a simple yet decadent experience. By juxtaposing fluid, soft lines and smooth textures, sensual colors, and sharp, geometric forms, he creates elegant, romantic works. Gaveau’s paintings capture the essence of innocence and keep his representation of figures and objects apparent enough to appreciate their beauty and purpose, but abstracted in a way that leaves a trace of wonder.

Claude Gaveau was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, December 5, 1940. He followed in the footsteps of an artistic family. His grandfather was the creator of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris and his uncles were both painters and artisans. Gaveau recalls receiving painting lessons from his uncle at the age of five and that his interest never wavered from that moment. After attending the National Superior School of Les Beaux Arts in Paris, he had his first solo exhibition at the Angle Aigu in Paris. The art community appreciated his talents, which led to numerous solo exhibitions. He became internationally recognition by the early 1970s.

The sophisticated walls of Moroccan villages, the sentiment of Venetian canals, and Californian décor are all inspirations that play into Gaveau’s masterpieces. Art critics have compared his art to the grace of a symphony. Delicate and peaceful, Gaveau is a highly collectable artist whose works will stand the test of time.

American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Claude Gaveau. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

The still life and nude compositions of internationally acclaimed artist Claude Gaveau invite the viewer into a simple yet decadent experience. By juxtaposing fluid, soft lines and smooth textures, sensual colors, and sharp, geometric forms, he creates elegant, romantic works. Gaveau’s paintings capture the essence of innocence and keep his representation of figures and objects apparent enough to appreciate their beauty and purpose, but abstracted in a way that leaves a trace of wonder.

Claude Gaveau was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, December 5, 1940. He followed in the footsteps of an artistic family. His grandfather was the creator of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris and his uncles were both painters and artisans. Gaveau recalls receiving painting lessons from his uncle at the age of five and that his interest never wavered from that moment. After attending the National Superior School of Les Beaux Arts in Paris, he had his first solo exhibition at the Angle Aigu in Paris. The art community appreciated his talents, which led to numerous solo exhibitions. He became internationally recognition by the early 1970s.

The sophisticated walls of Moroccan villages, the sentiment of Venetian canals, and Californian décor are all inspirations that play into Gaveau’s masterpieces. Art critics have compared his art to the grace of a symphony. Delicate and peaceful, Gaveau is a highly collectable artist whose works will stand the test of time.

American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Claude Gaveau. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

The still life and nude compositions of internationally acclaimed artist Claude Gaveau invite the viewer into a simple yet decadent experience. By juxtaposing fluid, soft lines and smooth textures, sensual colors, and sharp, geometric forms, he creates elegant, romantic works. Gaveau’s paintings capture the essence of innocence and keep his representation of figures and objects apparent enough to appreciate their beauty and purpose, but abstracted in a way that leaves a trace of wonder.

Claude Gaveau was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, December 5, 1940. He followed in the footsteps of an artistic family. His grandfather was the creator of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris and his uncles were both painters and artisans. Gaveau recalls receiving painting lessons from his uncle at the age of five and that his interest never wavered from that moment. After attending the National Superior School of Les Beaux Arts in Paris, he had his first solo exhibition at the Angle Aigu in Paris. The art community appreciated his talents, which led to numerous solo exhibitions. He became internationally recognition by the early 1970s.

The sophisticated walls of Moroccan villages, the sentiment of Venetian canals, and Californian décor are all inspirations that play into Gaveau’s masterpieces. Art critics have compared his art to the grace of a symphony. Delicate and peaceful, Gaveau is a highly collectable artist whose works will stand the test of time.

American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Claude Gaveau. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

The still life and nude compositions of internationally acclaimed artist Claude Gaveau invite the viewer into a simple yet decadent experience. By juxtaposing fluid, soft lines and smooth textures, sensual colors, and sharp, geometric forms, he creates elegant, romantic works. Gaveau’s paintings capture the essence of innocence and keep his representation of figures and objects apparent enough to appreciate their beauty and purpose, but abstracted in a way that leaves a trace of wonder.

Claude Gaveau was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, December 5, 1940. He followed in the footsteps of an artistic family. His grandfather was the creator of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris and his uncles were both painters and artisans. Gaveau recalls receiving painting lessons from his uncle at the age of five and that his interest never wavered from that moment. After attending the National Superior School of Les Beaux Arts in Paris, he had his first solo exhibition at the Angle Aigu in Paris. The art community appreciated his talents, which led to numerous solo exhibitions. He became internationally recognition by the early 1970s.

The sophisticated walls of Moroccan villages, the sentiment of Venetian canals, and Californian décor are all inspirations that play into Gaveau’s masterpieces. Art critics have compared his art to the grace of a symphony. Delicate and peaceful, Gaveau is a highly collectable artist whose works will stand the test of time.

The still life and nude compositions of internationally acclaimed artist Claude Gaveau invite the viewer into a simple yet decadent experience. By juxtaposing fluid, soft lines and smooth textures, sensual colors, and sharp, geometric forms, he creates elegant, romantic works. Gaveau’s paintings capture the essence of innocence and keep his representation of figures and objects apparent enough to appreciate their beauty and purpose, but abstracted in a way that leaves a trace of wonder.

Claude Gaveau was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, December 5, 1940. He followed in the footsteps of an artistic family. His grandfather was the creator of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris and his uncles were both painters and artisans. Gaveau recalls receiving painting lessons from his uncle at the age of five and that his interest never wavered from that moment. After attending the National Superior School of Les Beaux Arts in Paris, he had his first solo exhibition at the Angle Aigu in Paris. The art community appreciated his talents, which led to numerous solo exhibitions. He became internationally recognition by the early 1970s.

The sophisticated walls of Moroccan villages, the sentiment of Venetian canals, and Californian décor are all inspirations that play into Gaveau’s masterpieces. Art critics have compared his art to the grace of a symphony. Delicate and peaceful, Gaveau is a highly collectable artist whose works will stand the test of time.

American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Claude Gaveau. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

The still life and nude compositions of internationally acclaimed artist Claude Gaveau invite the viewer into a simple yet decadent experience. By juxtaposing fluid, soft lines and smooth textures, sensual colors, and sharp, geometric forms, he creates elegant, romantic works. Gaveau’s paintings capture the essence of innocence and keep his representation of figures and objects apparent enough to appreciate their beauty and purpose, but abstracted in a way that leaves a trace of wonder.

Claude Gaveau was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, December 5, 1940. He followed in the footsteps of an artistic family. His grandfather was the creator of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris and his uncles were both painters and artisans. Gaveau recalls receiving painting lessons from his uncle at the age of five and that his interest never wavered from that moment. After attending the National Superior School of Les Beaux Arts in Paris, he had his first solo exhibition at the Angle Aigu in Paris. The art community appreciated his talents, which led to numerous solo exhibitions. He became internationally recognition by the early 1970s.

The sophisticated walls of Moroccan villages, the sentiment of Venetian canals, and Californian décor are all inspirations that play into Gaveau’s masterpieces. Art critics have compared his art to the grace of a symphony. Delicate and peaceful, Gaveau is a highly collectable artist whose works will stand the test of time.

American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Claude Gaveau. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

The still life and nude compositions of internationally acclaimed artist Claude Gaveau invite the viewer into a simple yet decadent experience. By juxtaposing fluid, soft lines and smooth textures, sensual colors, and sharp, geometric forms, he creates elegant, romantic works. Gaveau’s paintings capture the essence of innocence and keep his representation of figures and objects apparent enough to appreciate their beauty and purpose, but abstracted in a way that leaves a trace of wonder.

Claude Gaveau was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, December 5, 1940. He followed in the footsteps of an artistic family. His grandfather was the creator of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris and his uncles were both painters and artisans. Gaveau recalls receiving painting lessons from his uncle at the age of five and that his interest never wavered from that moment. After attending the National Superior School of Les Beaux Arts in Paris, he had his first solo exhibition at the Angle Aigu in Paris. The art community appreciated his talents, which led to numerous solo exhibitions. He became internationally recognition by the early 1970s.

The sophisticated walls of Moroccan villages, the sentiment of Venetian canals, and Californian décor are all inspirations that play into Gaveau’s masterpieces. Art critics have compared his art to the grace of a symphony. Delicate and peaceful, Gaveau is a highly collectable artist whose works will stand the test of time.

American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Claude Gaveau. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

The still life and nude compositions of internationally acclaimed artist Claude Gaveau invite the viewer into a simple yet decadent experience. By juxtaposing fluid, soft lines and smooth textures, sensual colors, and sharp, geometric forms, he creates elegant, romantic works. Gaveau’s paintings capture the essence of innocence and keep his representation of figures and objects apparent enough to appreciate their beauty and purpose, but abstracted in a way that leaves a trace of wonder.

Claude Gaveau was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, December 5, 1940. He followed in the footsteps of an artistic family. His grandfather was the creator of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris and his uncles were both painters and artisans. Gaveau recalls receiving painting lessons from his uncle at the age of five and that his interest never wavered from that moment. After attending the National Superior School of Les Beaux Arts in Paris, he had his first solo exhibition at the Angle Aigu in Paris. The art community appreciated his talents, which led to numerous solo exhibitions. He became internationally recognition by the early 1970s.

The sophisticated walls of Moroccan villages, the sentiment of Venetian canals, and Californian décor are all inspirations that play into Gaveau’s masterpieces. Art critics have compared his art to the grace of a symphony. Delicate and peaceful, Gaveau is a highly collectable artist whose works will stand the test of time.

American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Claude Gaveau. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

Why should I paint dead fish, onions and beer glasses? Girls are so much prettier.”

• Marie Laurencin
  French Expressionist and Cubist painter, printmaker, sculptor, and stage designer Marie Laurencin is known for her airy, ethereal, pastel-colored paintings of elegant, quiet, mysterious, pensive women. During the early twentieth century, she became an important figure in the famous Parisian avant-garde of the early twentieth century, presenting the feminine side of Cubism. Laurencin was the only female artist in the group, and one of the few recognized female Cubist painters. Her approach to abstraction, however, remains her own. Laurencin had relationships with both men and women, and her art reflected her life and her unique brand of queer femme. Most of her works portray a syrupy fantasy realm where girls gently exist in perfume clouds. Her work lies outside the bounds of Cubist norms in her pursuit of a specifically feminine aesthetic with her use of pastel colors and curvilinear forms, which her fellow artists admired. Her queer modernist vision riffed on Cubism’s reduction and geometry and on Fauvism’s hallucinatory colors and wild brushstrokes while truly having independence from these movements, and isn’t easy to situate in any linear stories about the development of modernism. She created a tender, soft-colored, feminine atmosphere, compared to the vivid, arbitrary colors and geometric figures of Picasso's male set of contemporaries. The poet André Salmon said, "There is something of a fairy wand in the brush of Marie Laurencin."
  Laurencin was the illegitimate daughter of a small-town French government official, born in Paris in 1883. She was raised mostly by her mother and lived in Paris the vast majority her life. In 1902, at age 19, she studied porcelain painting in Sèvres then returned to Paris, furthering her education at the Académie Humbert in 1904 where she began focusing on oil painting. She submitted to the Salon des Indépendants in 1907, where she met Picasso, who introduced her to the modernist poet, Guillaume Apollinaire. She became a member of Picasso’s circle as well as other Cubist artists’, and was romantically involved with Apollinaire for several years. Many have recognized her as his muse, while he inspired many of her works as well. Laurencin, during their relationship and afterwards, resisted the association of her work to Cubism. Her style at the time had similarities to early Cubist works, with a shallow sense of space and flat planes of color, but she also she drew from the dreamlike imagery of modern poets, including Apollinaire, and the soft colors of Impressionists such as Auguste Renoir. She attended Natalie Barney's famous neo-Sapphic salons, centered on female connection, inspiration, and creativity, and the influence on Laurencin's creative production shows throughout her oeuvre. Around 1912, her mother died, and Laurencin ended things with Apollinaire, as he had acquired a reputation for philandering. Apollinaire didn’t take the split seriously for a year or two, until Laurencin remarried. She married Otto van Wätjen, a German baron and painter, and one of her old classmates from the Académie Humbert whom she said reminded her of her mother. World War I broke out during their honeymoon, however, and they sought asylum in Spain, as Laurencin had lost her French citizenship with the marriage. There, Laurencin became involved with the Dada movement, working alongside Francis Picabia. After Spain, the married couple moved briefly to Düsseldorf. During this period away from Paris, her style and subject matter evolved. Perhaps related to the distance from the pressures of the Parisian avant-garde, Laurencin refined her painting approach and started focusing on the subject matter that would define her career. After the war, she moved more towards personal artistic desires, developing a heavier emphasis on Expressionism, and straying from experimentation with artistic trends like Cubism. She began producing her signature portraits of women and dogs. She explored themes of femininity and what she considered feminine modes of representation until her death. Her new works featured attractive, somewhat indistinctly described women in feminine dress and setting. They lounge or dance through ambiguous spaces, looking enigmatically at the viewer with consistently unusual, large, dark eyes. Laurencin’s ladies have a quiet intimacy, and appear to be playmates or young lovers when there are two or three of them. Between 1918 and 1924, her scenes were sometimes explicitly erotic, though dreamy instead of sleazy. Apollinaire had served in the war, had been injured with a shrapnel in his temple in 1916, never fully recovered, and passed away two years later during the Spanish Flu Pandemic in 1918 at the age of 38, a few months after getting married. Laurencin was depressed and unstable during this period. Two years after the war Laurencin and van Wätjen divorced due to his fondness for drinking, and Laurencin returned to Paris in 1920, marking the beginning of a successful artistic career with several exhibitions of her work in Paris and New York.
  Receiving a positive response to her work, Laurencin also started to design sets, props, and costumes for the Ballets Russes, and produced illustrations for several books. Her stardom continued to rise throughout the 1920s and ’30s. She was commissioned for portraits of Coco Chanel, society figure Lady Cunard, and Jean Cocteau, among others. She bought a château with her earnings in the mid-1920s, and at this point, Suzanne Moreau, twenty-two years her junior, came to live with her. Some sources suggest Moreau was hired as a maid, who then grew close to her employer; others suggest she was the daughter of a maid, whose education Laurencin undertook. Whether they had a close, familial-type connection or a romantic one isn’t clear, but it is possible that Moreau was either Laurencin’s long-term girlfriend or adoptive daughter. In any case, she was her primary companion for the rest of her life. Laurencin lived freely in terms of her art and pricing strategies, and in her personal life. The artist’s depictions of women-loving women were popular, and she charged as she felt like it, charging women less than men, or blondes less than brunettes. In this period, she was also involved with a string of creative men and women, moving from lover to lover. It is likely she slept with some of the women she painted, although details of the affairs are lost.
  During the economic depression in the 1930s, she found work as an art instructor at a private school, staying artistically active. In 1939, Laurencin had eleven solo exhibitions. In her later years, she continued to paint. In 1954, she legally adopted Moreau, then 49 while Laurencin was 71, making the younger woman the beneficiary of her estate. Laurencin died of a heart attack in 1956 at 72 years of age, and was buried with Apollinaire's love letters and a rose in her hand, wearing a white dress.
  Laurencin was a prolific artist with a unique perspective. She created almost two thousand oil paintings, watercolors, three thousand engravings, and numerous theater sets. Japanese collector Masahiro Takano rediscovered and purchased most of her work, founding the Marie Laurencin Museum in Japan in 1983 - the first museum in the world devoted to a single female painter. In the 1970s, when Feminist and Queer Art were making a splash and art historians were making more thorough investigations from these angles, Laurencin was originally excluded from feminist rediscovery as some saw her as promoting a disempowering vision of femininity. Her written works might disappoint those in search of protofeminist heroines. While Laurencin celebrated women with poetry and prose, she also happily reinforced gender expectations. She was intimidated by the genius of men, and adored women since they were innately softer, prettier, and more delicate. Still, her reputation has since continued to grow and her influence is visible across the work of many artists exploring the place of women and gender in modern life. Louise Bourgeois, Laurencin's most famous student, explored female relationships using psychoanalytic ideas. Hannah Wilke and Harmony Hammond used imagery linked with womanhood to study lesbian identity after the civil rights movement. More recently, Karla Black's pastel cosmetics have expanded Laurencin's distinctive color scheme and continued Laurencin’s concept of using aesthetic gratification to advocate for femininity. As we develop more tools to approach queer modernism and feminist art history, and grow towards more inclusive collecting practices and more diversifying academic approaches to feminism, Laurencin’s oeuvre can be appreciated more fully.

“Why should I paint dead fish, onions and beer glasses? Girls are so much prettier.”

• Marie Laurencin
  French Expressionist and Cubist painter, printmaker, sculptor, and stage designer Marie Laurencin is known for her airy, ethereal, pastel-colored paintings of elegant, quiet, mysterious, pensive women. During the early twentieth century, she became an important figure in the famous Parisian avant-garde of the early twentieth century, presenting the feminine side of Cubism. Laurencin was the only female artist in the group, and one of the few recognized female Cubist painters. Her approach to abstraction, however, remains her own. Laurencin had relationships with both men and women, and her art reflected her life and her unique brand of queer femme. Most of her works portray a syrupy fantasy realm where girls gently exist in perfume clouds. Her work lies outside the bounds of Cubist norms in her pursuit of a specifically feminine aesthetic with her use of pastel colors and curvilinear forms, which her fellow artists admired. Her queer modernist vision riffed on Cubism’s reduction and geometry and on Fauvism’s hallucinatory colors and wild brushstrokes while truly having independence from these movements, and isn’t easy to situate in any linear stories about the development of modernism. She created a tender, soft-colored, feminine atmosphere, compared to the vivid, arbitrary colors and geometric figures of Picasso's male set of contemporaries. The poet André Salmon said, "There is something of a fairy wand in the brush of Marie Laurencin."
  Laurencin was the illegitimate daughter of a small-town French government official, born in Paris in 1883. She was raised mostly by her mother and lived in Paris the vast majority her life. In 1902, at age 19, she studied porcelain painting in Sèvres then returned to Paris, furthering her education at the Académie Humbert in 1904 where she began focusing on oil painting. She submitted to the Salon des Indépendants in 1907, where she met Picasso, who introduced her to the modernist poet, Guillaume Apollinaire. She became a member of Picasso’s circle as well as other Cubist artists’, and was romantically involved with Apollinaire for several years. Many have recognized her as his muse, while he inspired many of her works as well. Laurencin, during their relationship and afterwards, resisted the association of her work to Cubism. Her style at the time had similarities to early Cubist works, with a shallow sense of space and flat planes of color, but she also she drew from the dreamlike imagery of modern poets, including Apollinaire, and the soft colors of Impressionists such as Auguste Renoir. She attended Natalie Barney's famous neo-Sapphic salons, centered on female connection, inspiration, and creativity, and the influence on Laurencin's creative production shows throughout her oeuvre. Around 1912, her mother died, and Laurencin ended things with Apollinaire, as he had acquired a reputation for philandering. Apollinaire didn’t take the split seriously for a year or two, until Laurencin remarried. She married Otto van Wätjen, a German baron and painter, and one of her old classmates from the Académie Humbert whom she said reminded her of her mother. World War I broke out during their honeymoon, however, and they sought asylum in Spain, as Laurencin had lost her French citizenship with the marriage. There, Laurencin became involved with the Dada movement, working alongside Francis Picabia. After Spain, the married couple moved briefly to Düsseldorf. During this period away from Paris, her style and subject matter evolved. Perhaps related to the distance from the pressures of the Parisian avant-garde, Laurencin refined her painting approach and started focusing on the subject matter that would define her career. After the war, she moved more towards personal artistic desires, developing a heavier emphasis on Expressionism, and straying from experimentation with artistic trends like Cubism. She began producing her signature portraits of women and dogs. She explored themes of femininity and what she considered feminine modes of representation until her death. Her new works featured attractive, somewhat indistinctly described women in feminine dress and setting. They lounge or dance through ambiguous spaces, looking enigmatically at the viewer with consistently unusual, large, dark eyes. Laurencin’s ladies have a quiet intimacy, and appear to be playmates or young lovers when there are two or three of them. Between 1918 and 1924, her scenes were sometimes explicitly erotic, though dreamy instead of sleazy. Apollinaire had served in the war, had been injured with a shrapnel in his temple in 1916, never fully recovered, and passed away two years later during the Spanish Flu Pandemic in 1918 at the age of 38, a few months after getting married. Laurencin was depressed and unstable during this period. Two years after the war Laurencin and van Wätjen divorced due to his fondness for drinking, and Laurencin returned to Paris in 1920, marking the beginning of a successful artistic career with several exhibitions of her work in Paris and New York.
  Receiving a positive response to her work, Laurencin also started to design sets, props, and costumes for the Ballets Russes, and produced illustrations for several books. Her stardom continued to rise throughout the 1920s and ’30s. She was commissioned for portraits of Coco Chanel, society figure Lady Cunard, and Jean Cocteau, among others. She bought a château with her earnings in the mid-1920s, and at this point, Suzanne Moreau, twenty-two years her junior, came to live with her. Some sources suggest Moreau was hired as a maid, who then grew close to her employer; others suggest she was the daughter of a maid, whose education Laurencin undertook. Whether they had a close, familial-type connection or a romantic one isn’t clear, but it is possible that Moreau was either Laurencin’s long-term girlfriend or adoptive daughter. In any case, she was her primary companion for the rest of her life. Laurencin lived freely in terms of her art and pricing strategies, and in her personal life. The artist’s depictions of women-loving women were popular, and she charged as she felt like it, charging women less than men, or blondes less than brunettes. In this period, she was also involved with a string of creative men and women, moving from lover to lover. It is likely she slept with some of the women she painted, although details of the affairs are lost.
  During the economic depression in the 1930s, she found work as an art instructor at a private school, staying artistically active. In 1939, Laurencin had eleven solo exhibitions. In her later years, she continued to paint. In 1954, she legally adopted Moreau, then 49 while Laurencin was 71, making the younger woman the beneficiary of her estate. Laurencin died of a heart attack in 1956 at 72 years of age, and was buried with Apollinaire's love letters and a rose in her hand, wearing a white dress.
  Laurencin was a prolific artist with a unique perspective. She created almost two thousand oil paintings, watercolors, three thousand engravings, and numerous theater sets. Japanese collector Masahiro Takano rediscovered and purchased most of her work, founding the Marie Laurencin Museum in Japan in 1983 - the first museum in the world devoted to a single female painter. In the 1970s, when Feminist and Queer Art were making a splash and art historians were making more thorough investigations from these angles, Laurencin was originally excluded from feminist rediscovery as some saw her as promoting a disempowering vision of femininity. Her written works might disappoint those in search of protofeminist heroines. While Laurencin celebrated women with poetry and prose, she also happily reinforced gender expectations. She was intimidated by the genius of men, and adored women since they were innately softer, prettier, and more delicate. Still, her reputation has since continued to grow and her influence is visible across the work of many artists exploring the place of women and gender in modern life. Louise Bourgeois, Laurencin's most famous student, explored female relationships using psychoanalytic ideas. Hannah Wilke and Harmony Hammond used imagery linked with womanhood to study lesbian identity after the civil rights movement. More recently, Karla Black's pastel cosmetics have expanded Laurencin's distinctive color scheme and continued Laurencin’s concept of using aesthetic gratification to advocate for femininity. As we develop more tools to approach queer modernism and feminist art history, and grow towards more inclusive collecting practices and more diversifying academic approaches to feminism, Laurencin’s oeuvre can be appreciated more fully.

“Man needs color to live; it’s just as necessary an element as fire and water.”

• Fernand Léger

Celebrated modernist Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a painter, sculptor, filmmaker, and teacher. His bold and simplified treatment of modern subject matter marks him as a forerunner of pop art. While he continually modified his style, his work was dependably graphic, frequently using primary colors, pattern, and bold form. Although Léger gained recognition from his early, largely Cubist manner, his style kept evolving through the decades, with influences from a wide range of sources and ever-changing proportions of figuration and abstraction. His work harmonizes dualities usually at odds in twentieth century art, as he fused recognizable subject matter and three-dimensionality with non-representation and abstraction. 

“Man needs color to live; it’s just as necessary an element as fire and water.”

• Fernand Léger

Celebrated modernist Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a painter, sculptor, filmmaker, and teacher. His bold and simplified treatment of modern subject matter marks him as a forerunner of pop art. While he continually modified his style, his work was dependably graphic, frequently using primary colors, pattern, and bold form. Although Léger gained recognition from his early, largely Cubist manner, his style kept evolving through the decades, with influences from a wide range of sources and ever-changing proportions of figuration and abstraction. His work harmonizes dualities usually at odds in twentieth century art, as he fused recognizable subject matter and three-dimensionality with non-representation and abstraction. 

“Man needs color to live; it’s just as necessary an element as fire and water.”

• Fernand Léger

Celebrated modernist Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a painter, sculptor, filmmaker, and teacher. His bold and simplified treatment of modern subject matter marks him as a forerunner of pop art. While he continually modified his style, his work was dependably graphic, frequently using primary colors, pattern, and bold form. Although Léger gained recognition from his early, largely Cubist manner, his style kept evolving through the decades, with influences from a wide range of sources and ever-changing proportions of figuration and abstraction. His work harmonizes dualities usually at odds in twentieth century art, as he fused recognizable subject matter and three-dimensionality with non-representation and abstraction. 

“Man needs color to live; it’s just as necessary an element as fire and water.”

• Fernand Léger

Celebrated modernist Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a painter, sculptor, filmmaker, and teacher. His bold and simplified treatment of modern subject matter marks him as a forerunner of pop art. While he continually modified his style, his work was dependably graphic, frequently using primary colors, pattern, and bold form. Although Léger gained recognition from his early, largely Cubist manner, his style kept evolving through the decades, with influences from a wide range of sources and ever-changing proportions of figuration and abstraction. His work harmonizes dualities usually at odds in twentieth century art, as he fused recognizable subject matter and three-dimensionality with non-representation and abstraction. 

“Man needs color to live; it’s just as necessary an element as fire and water.”

• Fernand Léger

Celebrated modernist Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a painter, sculptor, filmmaker, and teacher. His bold and simplified treatment of modern subject matter marks him as a forerunner of pop art. While he continually modified his style, his work was dependably graphic, frequently using primary colors, pattern, and bold form. Although Léger gained recognition from his early, largely Cubist manner, his style kept evolving through the decades, with influences from a wide range of sources and ever-changing proportions of figuration and abstraction. His work harmonizes dualities usually at odds in twentieth century art, as he fused recognizable subject matter and three-dimensionality with non-representation and abstraction. 

“Man needs color to live; it’s just as necessary an element as fire and water.”

• Fernand Léger

Celebrated modernist Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a painter, sculptor, filmmaker, and teacher. His bold and simplified treatment of modern subject matter marks him as a forerunner of pop art. While he continually modified his style, his work was dependably graphic, frequently using primary colors, pattern, and bold form. Although Léger gained recognition from his early, largely Cubist manner, his style kept evolving through the decades, with influences from a wide range of sources and ever-changing proportions of figuration and abstraction. His work harmonizes dualities usually at odds in twentieth century art, as he fused recognizable subject matter and three-dimensionality with non-representation and abstraction. 

“Man needs color to live; it’s just as necessary an element as fire and water.”

• Fernand Léger

Celebrated modernist Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a painter, sculptor, filmmaker, and teacher. His bold and simplified treatment of modern subject matter marks him as a forerunner of pop art. While he continually modified his style, his work was dependably graphic, frequently using primary colors, pattern, and bold form. Although Léger gained recognition from his early, largely Cubist manner, his style kept evolving through the decades, with influences from a wide range of sources and ever-changing proportions of figuration and abstraction. His work harmonizes dualities usually at odds in twentieth century art, as he fused recognizable subject matter and three-dimensionality with non-representation and abstraction. 

“Man needs color to live; it’s just as necessary an element as fire and water.”

• Fernand Léger

Celebrated modernist Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a painter, sculptor, filmmaker, and teacher. His bold and simplified treatment of modern subject matter marks him as a forerunner of pop art. While he continually modified his style, his work was dependably graphic, frequently using primary colors, pattern, and bold form. Although Léger gained recognition from his early, largely Cubist manner, his style kept evolving through the decades, with influences from a wide range of sources and ever-changing proportions of figuration and abstraction. His work harmonizes dualities usually at odds in twentieth century art, as he fused recognizable subject matter and three-dimensionality with non-representation and abstraction. 

“Man needs color to live; it’s just as necessary an element as fire and water.”

• Fernand Léger

Celebrated modernist Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a painter, sculptor, filmmaker, and teacher. His bold and simplified treatment of modern subject matter marks him as a forerunner of pop art. While he continually modified his style, his work was dependably graphic, frequently using primary colors, pattern, and bold form. Although Léger gained recognition from his early, largely Cubist manner, his style kept evolving through the decades, with influences from a wide range of sources and ever-changing proportions of figuration and abstraction. His work harmonizes dualities usually at odds in twentieth century art, as he fused recognizable subject matter and three-dimensionality with non-representation and abstraction. 

“Man needs color to live; it’s just as necessary an element as fire and water.”

• Fernand Léger

Celebrated modernist Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a painter, sculptor, filmmaker, and teacher. His bold and simplified treatment of modern subject matter marks him as a forerunner of pop art. While he continually modified his style, his work was dependably graphic, frequently using primary colors, pattern, and bold form. Although Léger gained recognition from his early, largely Cubist manner, his style kept evolving through the decades, with influences from a wide range of sources and ever-changing proportions of figuration and abstraction. His work harmonizes dualities usually at odds in twentieth century art, as he fused recognizable subject matter and three-dimensionality with non-representation and abstraction. 

“Man needs color to live; it’s just as necessary an element as fire and water.”

• Fernand Léger

Celebrated modernist Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a painter, sculptor, filmmaker, and teacher. His bold and simplified treatment of modern subject matter marks him as a forerunner of pop art. While he continually modified his style, his work was dependably graphic, frequently using primary colors, pattern, and bold form. Although Léger gained recognition from his early, largely Cubist manner, his style kept evolving through the decades, with influences from a wide range of sources and ever-changing proportions of figuration and abstraction. His work harmonizes dualities usually at odds in twentieth century art, as he fused recognizable subject matter and three-dimensionality with non-representation and abstraction. 

“Man needs color to live; it’s just as necessary an element as fire and water.”

• Fernand Léger

Celebrated modernist Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a painter, sculptor, filmmaker, and teacher. His bold and simplified treatment of modern subject matter marks him as a forerunner of pop art. While he continually modified his style, his work was dependably graphic, frequently using primary colors, pattern, and bold form. Although Léger gained recognition from his early, largely Cubist manner, his style kept evolving through the decades, with influences from a wide range of sources and ever-changing proportions of figuration and abstraction. His work harmonizes dualities usually at odds in twentieth century art, as he fused recognizable subject matter and three-dimensionality with non-representation and abstraction. 

“Man needs color to live; it’s just as necessary an element as fire and water.”

• Fernand Léger

Celebrated modernist Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a painter, sculptor, filmmaker, and teacher. His bold and simplified treatment of modern subject matter marks him as a forerunner of pop art. While he continually modified his style, his work was dependably graphic, frequently using primary colors, pattern, and bold form. Although Léger gained recognition from his early, largely Cubist manner, his style kept evolving through the decades, with influences from a wide range of sources and ever-changing proportions of figuration and abstraction. His work harmonizes dualities usually at odds in twentieth century art, as he fused recognizable subject matter and three-dimensionality with non-representation and abstraction. 

“Man needs color to live; it’s just as necessary an element as fire and water.”

• Fernand Léger

Celebrated modernist Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a painter, sculptor, filmmaker, and teacher. His bold and simplified treatment of modern subject matter marks him as a forerunner of pop art. While he continually modified his style, his work was dependably graphic, frequently using primary colors, pattern, and bold form. Although Léger gained recognition from his early, largely Cubist manner, his style kept evolving through the decades, with influences from a wide range of sources and ever-changing proportions of figuration and abstraction. His work harmonizes dualities usually at odds in twentieth century art, as he fused recognizable subject matter and three-dimensionality with non-representation and abstraction. 

“Man needs color to live; it’s just as necessary an element as fire and water.”

• Fernand Léger

Celebrated modernist Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a painter, sculptor, filmmaker, and teacher. His bold and simplified treatment of modern subject matter marks him as a forerunner of pop art. While he continually modified his style, his work was dependably graphic, frequently using primary colors, pattern, and bold form. Although Léger gained recognition from his early, largely Cubist manner, his style kept evolving through the decades, with influences from a wide range of sources and ever-changing proportions of figuration and abstraction. His work harmonizes dualities usually at odds in twentieth century art, as he fused recognizable subject matter and three-dimensionality with non-representation and abstraction. 

“It is not enough to know your craft - you have to have feeling. Science is all very well, but for us imagination is worth far more.”

• Édouard Manet

  Called the “Father of Modern Art,” French modernist painter Édouard Manet was a key figure in the shift from Realism to Impressionism and one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life. “[He was] one of the first to take liberties with Renaissance perspective and to offer ‘pure painting’ as a source of aesthetic pleasure… and shared with Degas the establishment of modern urban life as acceptable material for high art," art historian Beatrice Farwell has said of Manet. Along with Gustave Courbet, Manet was also among the first, emerging from the traditional era of artistic Romanticism, to take risks with public favor and assert his own subjectivity and the importance of his vision. As an innovative influence for future painters, Manet established alla prima as the customary oil painting technique, which involved the use of opaque colors over a light background. This technique, novel at the time, was later adopted by the Impressionists. He was something of a contradiction himself, both radical and traditional, common and bourgeoisie, while his paintings reflect similar contradictions.
  Manet was born to an upper class, politically relevant family in Paris in 1832. His mother, Eugenie, was a diplomat’s daughter and the goddaughter of the Swedish crown prince Charles Bernadotte, while his father, Auguste, was a French judge. Initially his parents were not supportive of his interest in art; they wanted their son to pursue a more respectable career, such as law. Manet’s uncle, Edmond Fournier, encouraged Manet to start painting after a visit to the Louvre museum. Manet attended the Collège Rollin, and in 1845, he enrolled in his first drawing course. At 16, he boarded a training vessel headed for Brazil in efforts to join the Navy, though he failed his entry examination twice. His naval failure finally convinced his parents to support his wishes, and Manet began art school.
  At 18, Manet took up study under French history teacher and painter, Thomas Couture, learning basic drawing and painting skills. For years, he would occupy his spare time at the Louvre, spending hours copying the Old Masters. He traveled throughout Europe from 1853 to 1956, exploring the works of many popular Dutch and Spanish painters. After six years of studying, Manet opened his own studio, and his style began to evolve from Realism to Impressionism. Loose brush strokes, simple details, and minimal transitional tones summarize his style throughout the late 1850’s. During this period, many of Manet’s paintings were considered scandalous, often featuring nudity, and they wouldn’t be exhibited until later in his career. He faced an abundance of criticism and negativity; many were shocked or unimpressed with his striking paintings. One example is his Olympia (1865), the lounging, nude beauty who was first exhibited at the Paris Salon, and later installed in the Louvre 42 years after its completion. The Salon debut of Olympia sparked scandal, described by French journalist Antonin Proust, “Only the precautions taken by the administration prevented the painting being punctured and torn by offended viewers.” Many of his other well-known and more palatable works feature observations of social life in 19th century Paris with his subjects reading, drinking, working, etc. Manet began to dabble in religious depictions into the 1860’s with pieces like The Dead Christ With Angels (1864), which now hangs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
  The artist suffered the loss of his father in 1862, and shortly after, he married Suzanne Leenhoff. Leenhoff was Manet’s piano teacher, with whom he had romantic relations for over a decade. It is believed that Leenhoff had also been the mistress of Manet’s father, and it is unknown which Manet man was the father of the son she bore in 1852. Leenhoff appears in many of Manet’s works, such as in The Reading (circa 1865-1873), and her son posed often for Manet. After facing rejection from the International Exhibition of 1867, Manet curated his own exhibition, costing him a large portion of his inheritance. While this project earned him poor reviews, it provided him an opportunity to connect with several future painters. The artist became friends with famous Impressionists like Degas, Monet, Renoir, and Cézanne, though he refused to be labeled as an Impressionist and preferred to exhibit at the Salon rather than independent shows. In the 1870’s, Manet became particularly interested in depicting war and historical scenery. Three different versions of the Execution of Emperor Maximilian are among Manet’s largest paintings, completed between 1867 and 1869 after the French intervention in Mexico. The paintings, which were never permitted to be shown in France, were exhibited for the first time in New York in 1879. By the 1880’s, Manet’s health began to decline. Severe pain and paralysis in his lower limbs was thought to be caused by a circulatory problem, until he was diagnosed with syphilis. His last years were filled with small-scale still lifes of fruits, vegetables, and flowers as well as his final major work A Bar at the Folies-Bergere (1882), which hung in the Paris Salon a year later. Manet died in April of 1883 at the age of 51, eleven days after having his foot amputated due to gangrene.
  Though his career lasted a relatively short 20 years, Manet left behind a legacy as an influential artist with a bold reputation. His known works include over 430 oil paintings, 89 pastels, and over 400 works on paper. Controversy surrounding his art never ceased, but he attracted many admirers from the start. He is recognized as a leader in modernism, who took risks with the public eye, influenced the popularization of alla prima painting, and established modern urban life as “acceptable material for high art.” The French government recognized Manet’s legacy with the Légion d’Honneur in 1882, a year before his passing. His important and influential impact lives on in his works, which are celebrated worldwide.

“There are always flowers for those who want to see them.”

• Henri Matisse

  Post-Impressionist Henri Matisse is widely regarded as the greatest colorist of the twentieth century and rival to Picasso in innovation. He was a superstar of the Paris Art School, indeed of the twentieth century art world, and co-founder of Fauvism. His impact on modern art cannot be overstated. Matisse used pure colors and the white of exposed canvas to create light-filled ambiance in his Fauve paintings, and rather than using shading to lend volume and structure to his pictures, he used contrasting areas of bold, unmodified color. Matisse once said he desired his art to be "of balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter." He wanted his art to be "a soothing, calming influence on the mind, rather like a good armchair."

  Henri Matisse was born in December of 1869 and raised in a small industrial town in northern France. His family worked in the grain business, and as a young man, Matisse labored as a legal clerk and studied for a law degree between 1887-89. He took drawing classes in the mornings before work. Disappointing his father, a couple years later Matisse moved to Paris to study art, and older artists at schools such as the Académie Julian and École des Beaux-Arts shared their knowledge with him. With model Caroline Joblau, he had a daughter, Marguerite, born in 1894.

  In 1896, then an unknown art student, Matisse visited artist John Russell on an island off the coast of Brittany. Russell was an Impressionist painter - a style that Matisse had never previously seen directly. Matisse was so shocked at the style that he left after ten days, saying, "I couldn't stand it anymore," but returned a year later as Russell's student. He left his earth-colored palette behind for bright Impressionist colors. In 1898, he and Amélie Noellie Parayre married and they raised Marguerite together and had two sons, Jean (1899) and Pierre (1900). Matisse often used Marguerite and Amélie as models. Matisse showed his work in large group exhibits in Paris starting in the mid 1890s, and his pieces gained popularity. By the 1900s, Matisse was submitting art to the Salon des Indépendants. During this time, he was under the artistic influence of Georges Seurat and Paul Signac who painted with small dots of color in a Pointillist style, which was a form of Neo-Impressionism. He held his first one-man exhibition at the gallery of dealer Ambroise Vollard in 1904.

  In 1905, he and fellow artist André Derain submitted works to the Salon in a radical new style at the Salon d'Automne of 1905. The critic Louis Vauxcelles disparaged the painters with the phrase "Donatello chez les fauves" ("Donatello among the wild beasts"), referring to a Renaissance-style sculpture by Albert Marque displayed in the same room as them and contrasting it with their "orgy of pure tones". Thus, their movement came to be called Fauvism. The new movement swelled for three years, leaving an indelible mark on the art world. Fauvist works have bright colors to the point of pure color, strong brushwork, and loose structure. Much of Matisse’s mature work emphasizes this style, capturing a mood, not so much a realistic image. His subjects remained traditional – portraits of friends and family and arrangements of figures in rooms or landscapes. Still life and the nude remained favorite subjects throughout his career. The art of other cultures also heavily influenced Matisse. He saw several exhibitions of Asian art, traveled to North Africa, and incorporated some of the decorative qualities of Islamic art, the angularity of African sculpture, and the flatness of Japanese prints into his own style.

  Matisse, his contemporary, Picasso, and Leo and Gertrude Stein formed a social circle and gathered on Saturday evenings. More and more people began attending as well; everybody brought somebody. Among Picasso's acquaintances who also frequented the Saturday evenings were Fernande Olivier, Georges Braque, André Derain, the poets Max Jacob and Guillaume Apollinaire, Marie Laurencin and Henri Rousseau. Matisse’s friends organized and financed the Académie Matisse in Paris. Operating from 1907 until 1911, Matisse instructed young artists in a private and non-commercial school. Matisse then spent seven months in Morocco from 1912 to 1913. His odalisques and orientalist topics of later paintings can be traced to this period. WWI began in 1914, and in 1917 he relocated to a suburb of Nice on the French Riviera, where his work softened and relaxed in the post-war period. In the 1920s he actively collaborated with artists of a variety of ethnicities. After 1930, his work became bolder and simpler, foreshadowing his famous cutout technique. WWII began in 1930, and Matisse’s 41-year marriage with Amelie ended when she suspected he was having an affair with his young Russian-born assistant, Lydia Delectorskaya. Delectorskaya tried to kill herself, shooting herself in the chest, but she survived and recovered, returning to Matisse and working as his trusted personal and professional assistant until he passed away.

  While the Nazis were in control of France from 1940 to 1944, Matisse almost went to Brazil to escape the Occupation, but decided to stay in Nice. The Occupation was more lenient on "degenerate art" in Paris than it was in the German-speaking nations; Matisse was allowed to exhibit along with other former Fauves and Cubists, whom Hitler had claimed to despise - but Jewish artists were prohibited, their works removed from all French museums and galleries. Any French artists exhibiting in France, including Matisse, had to sign an oath assuring their "Aryan" status. Although he was never a Resistance member himself, his family was part of the French Resistance. His estranged wife, Amélie, typed for the French Underground and spent six months in jail. His eldest child, Marguerite, was active in the Resistance and was tortured almost to death by the Gestapo in a prison, then sentenced to a concentration camp in Germany where she managed to escape from the train while it was halted for an air raid. She survived in the woods until rescued by fellow resisters. Matisse’s son, Pierre, an art dealer in New York, represented French artists and helped them to escape occupied France, if necessary, and enter the United States. Pierre held the now-legendary exhibition in New York, Artists in Exile in 1942. Sadly, Rudolf Levy, Matisse's student, was killed in the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944.

  In 1941, Matisse was diagnosed with intestinal cancer and started using a wheelchair following a difficult surgery. Before undergoing the risky operation, he wrote an anxious letter to his son, Pierre, insisting, "I love my family, truly, dearly and profoundly." He left another letter, in the event of his death, making peace with his ex-wife Amélie. Instead, Matisse received what he called “Une seconde vie”, (a second life) of the last fourteen years of his life. The new lease on life led to an extraordinary burst of expression, the culmination of half a century of work, but also to a radical renewal that made it possible for him to create what he had always struggled for: “I have needed all that time to reach the stage where I can say what I want to say.” With the aid of Lydia Delectorskaya and other assistants, he set about creating cut paper collages, often on an enormous scale, called gouaches découpés. By maneuvering scissors through prepared sheets of paper, he inaugurated a new phase of his career. The cutout was not a renunciation of painting and sculpture: he called it “painting with scissors.” Matisse said, "Only what I created after the illness constitutes my real self: free, liberated.” The experimentation with cut-outs also offered Matisse chances to fashion a new, aesthetically pleasing environment: "You see as I am obliged to remain often in bed because of the state of my health, I have made a little garden all around me where I can walk... There are leaves, fruits, a bird." His cutouts are among the most admired and influential works of the artist’s entire career.

  Matisse moved to Vence in 1943, and late in his career, he received several commissions, including a mural for an art gallery in Pennsylvania and poetry illustrations. His final project was creating a program of decorations for the Chapel of the Rosary in Vence including murals, furniture, and stained-glass windows. In 1941, a nursing student named Monique Bourgeois had responded to an ad placed by Matisse for a nurse, and they had developed a platonic friendship. She was an amateur artist and he taught her about perspective. Bourgeois left the position and joined a convent in 1944, and Matisse would sometimes ask her to model for him. Bourgeois became a Dominican nun in 1946, and Matisse began the chapel in 1947 in her honor. The small modern building on the grounds of the Dominican nuns' residence in Vence took almost four years to complete.

  Matisse died at age 84 of a heart attack November 3, 1954. Over a six-decade career, he was a prolific painter, but also worked in multiple mediums, including sculpture, printmaking, and more. Although his subjects were conventional, his radical use of brilliant color and exaggerated form to express emotion inspired his own contemporaries and future movements. He will be in the canon forever as one of the most prominent, groundbreaking, and influential artists of the twentieth century. His legacy of color and light lives on in his historically transformative modern art masterpieces.

  American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Henri Matisse. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. If you need to learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or more information, your International Art Consultant will assist and provide the one on one attention you deserve. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

“There are always flowers for those who want to see them.”

• Henri Matisse

  Post-Impressionist Henri Matisse is widely regarded as the greatest colorist of the twentieth century and rival to Picasso in innovation. He was a superstar of the Paris Art School, indeed of the twentieth century art world, and co-founder of Fauvism. His impact on modern art cannot be overstated. Matisse used pure colors and the white of exposed canvas to create light-filled ambiance in his Fauve paintings, and rather than using shading to lend volume and structure to his pictures, he used contrasting areas of bold, unmodified color. Matisse once said he desired his art to be "of balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter." He wanted his art to be "a soothing, calming influence on the mind, rather like a good armchair."

  Henri Matisse was born in December of 1869 and raised in a small industrial town in northern France. His family worked in the grain business, and as a young man, Matisse labored as a legal clerk and studied for a law degree between 1887-89. He took drawing classes in the mornings before work. Disappointing his father, a couple years later Matisse moved to Paris to study art, and older artists at schools such as the Académie Julian and École des Beaux-Arts shared their knowledge with him. With model Caroline Joblau, he had a daughter, Marguerite, born in 1894.

  In 1896, then an unknown art student, Matisse visited artist John Russell on an island off the coast of Brittany. Russell was an Impressionist painter - a style that Matisse had never previously seen directly. Matisse was so shocked at the style that he left after ten days, saying, "I couldn't stand it anymore," but returned a year later as Russell's student. He left his earth-colored palette behind for bright Impressionist colors. In 1898, he and Amélie Noellie Parayre married and they raised Marguerite together and had two sons, Jean (1899) and Pierre (1900). Matisse often used Marguerite and Amélie as models. Matisse showed his work in large group exhibits in Paris starting in the mid 1890s, and his pieces gained popularity. By the 1900s, Matisse was submitting art to the Salon des Indépendants. During this time, he was under the artistic influence of Georges Seurat and Paul Signac who painted with small dots of color in a Pointillist style, which was a form of Neo-Impressionism. He held his first one-man exhibition at the gallery of dealer Ambroise Vollard in 1904.

  In 1905, he and fellow artist André Derain submitted works to the Salon in a radical new style at the Salon d'Automne of 1905. The critic Louis Vauxcelles disparaged the painters with the phrase "Donatello chez les fauves" ("Donatello among the wild beasts"), referring to a Renaissance-style sculpture by Albert Marque displayed in the same room as them and contrasting it with their "orgy of pure tones". Thus, their movement came to be called Fauvism. The new movement swelled for three years, leaving an indelible mark on the art world. Fauvist works have bright colors to the point of pure color, strong brushwork, and loose structure. Much of Matisse’s mature work emphasizes this style, capturing a mood, not so much a realistic image. His subjects remained traditional – portraits of friends and family and arrangements of figures in rooms or landscapes. Still life and the nude remained favorite subjects throughout his career. The art of other cultures also heavily influenced Matisse. He saw several exhibitions of Asian art, traveled to North Africa, and incorporated some of the decorative qualities of Islamic art, the angularity of African sculpture, and the flatness of Japanese prints into his own style.

  Matisse, his contemporary, Picasso, and Leo and Gertrude Stein formed a social circle and gathered on Saturday evenings. More and more people began attending as well; everybody brought somebody. Among Picasso's acquaintances who also frequented the Saturday evenings were Fernande Olivier, Georges Braque, André Derain, the poets Max Jacob and Guillaume Apollinaire, Marie Laurencin and Henri Rousseau. Matisse’s friends organized and financed the Académie Matisse in Paris. Operating from 1907 until 1911, Matisse instructed young artists in a private and non-commercial school. Matisse then spent seven months in Morocco from 1912 to 1913. His odalisques and orientalist topics of later paintings can be traced to this period. WWI began in 1914, and in 1917 he relocated to a suburb of Nice on the French Riviera, where his work softened and relaxed in the post-war period. In the 1920s he actively collaborated with artists of a variety of ethnicities. After 1930, his work became bolder and simpler, foreshadowing his famous cutout technique. WWII began in 1930, and Matisse’s 41-year marriage with Amelie ended when she suspected he was having an affair with his young Russian-born assistant, Lydia Delectorskaya. Delectorskaya tried to kill herself, shooting herself in the chest, but she survived and recovered, returning to Matisse and working as his trusted personal and professional assistant until he passed away.

  While the Nazis were in control of France from 1940 to 1944, Matisse almost went to Brazil to escape the Occupation, but decided to stay in Nice. The Occupation was more lenient on "degenerate art" in Paris than it was in the German-speaking nations; Matisse was allowed to exhibit along with other former Fauves and Cubists, whom Hitler had claimed to despise - but Jewish artists were prohibited, their works removed from all French museums and galleries. Any French artists exhibiting in France, including Matisse, had to sign an oath assuring their "Aryan" status. Although he was never a Resistance member himself, his family was part of the French Resistance. His estranged wife, Amélie, typed for the French Underground and spent six months in jail. His eldest child, Marguerite, was active in the Resistance and was tortured almost to death by the Gestapo in a prison, then sentenced to a concentration camp in Germany where she managed to escape from the train while it was halted for an air raid. She survived in the woods until rescued by fellow resisters. Matisse’s son, Pierre, an art dealer in New York, represented French artists and helped them to escape occupied France, if necessary, and enter the United States. Pierre held the now-legendary exhibition in New York, Artists in Exile in 1942. Sadly, Rudolf Levy, Matisse's student, was killed in the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944.

  In 1941, Matisse was diagnosed with intestinal cancer and started using a wheelchair following a difficult surgery. Before undergoing the risky operation, he wrote an anxious letter to his son, Pierre, insisting, "I love my family, truly, dearly and profoundly." He left another letter, in the event of his death, making peace with his ex-wife Amélie. Instead, Matisse received what he called “Une seconde vie”, (a second life) of the last fourteen years of his life. The new lease on life led to an extraordinary burst of expression, the culmination of half a century of work, but also to a radical renewal that made it possible for him to create what he had always struggled for: “I have needed all that time to reach the stage where I can say what I want to say.” With the aid of Lydia Delectorskaya and other assistants, he set about creating cut paper collages, often on an enormous scale, called gouaches découpés. By maneuvering scissors through prepared sheets of paper, he inaugurated a new phase of his career. The cutout was not a renunciation of painting and sculpture: he called it “painting with scissors.” Matisse said, "Only what I created after the illness constitutes my real self: free, liberated.” The experimentation with cut-outs also offered Matisse chances to fashion a new, aesthetically pleasing environment: "You see as I am obliged to remain often in bed because of the state of my health, I have made a little garden all around me where I can walk... There are leaves, fruits, a bird." His cutouts are among the most admired and influential works of the artist’s entire career.

  Matisse moved to Vence in 1943, and late in his career, he received several commissions, including a mural for an art gallery in Pennsylvania and poetry illustrations. His final project was creating a program of decorations for the Chapel of the Rosary in Vence including murals, furniture, and stained-glass windows. In 1941, a nursing student named Monique Bourgeois had responded to an ad placed by Matisse for a nurse, and they had developed a platonic friendship. She was an amateur artist and he taught her about perspective. Bourgeois left the position and joined a convent in 1944, and Matisse would sometimes ask her to model for him. Bourgeois became a Dominican nun in 1946, and Matisse began the chapel in 1947 in her honor. The small modern building on the grounds of the Dominican nuns' residence in Vence took almost four years to complete.

  Matisse died at age 84 of a heart attack November 3, 1954. Over a six-decade career, he was a prolific painter, but also worked in multiple mediums, including sculpture, printmaking, and more. Although his subjects were conventional, his radical use of brilliant color and exaggerated form to express emotion inspired his own contemporaries and future movements. He will be in the canon forever as one of the most prominent, groundbreaking, and influential artists of the twentieth century. His legacy of color and light lives on in his historically transformative modern art masterpieces.

  American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Henri Matisse. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. If you need to learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or more information, your International Art Consultant will assist and provide the one on one attention you deserve. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

“I like Picasso for form and drawing and Braque for rhythm, but Matisse remains my spiritual father.” – Marcel Mouly

Marcel Mouly’s work is light in subject, and bright and bold in hue, allowing the viewer to take a step back and enjoy the aesthetic pleasures in life. His organic, feminine shapes, scenes of harbors, and romantic still life compositions are created with elegant brushstrokes and subtle blending. His compositions are balanced and harmonious with warm and cool components juxtaposed in substantial blocks. As a student of the School of Paris, of which Picasso, Braque, Matisse, and Lipchitz were celebrated practitioners, Mouly was enmeshed in the artistic tidal wave brought on by these modern masters. Taking notes from them, Mouly puts his own twist on Fauvism and Cubism to create his own style.

Mouly was born in Paris, France, on February 6th, 1918. He was interested in drawing as a child but did not intend to make it a career. He was first sent to a drawing class as a form of punishment, but instead exhibited a natural artistic talent. In 1935, after a number of odd jobs and while working for a wine merchant, Mouly began taking night classes in the arts at the Cours Montparnasse 80 until the Second World War in 1938, when he served in the military. In 1942, Mouly was mistaken for a spy, arrested by the Germans, and then spent a year in solitary confinement. It was in this experience that he had a moment of clarity and resolved that he would dedicate himself to becoming an artist.
When he was released, he set about realizing his passion and rented a studio with a fellow artist. Inspiration consumed Mouly as he walked the halls of the French Art Academies. He was overwhelmed with visions of late night critiques and the history behind the pioneers of movements. Jacques Lipchitz, the great sculptor, became his mentor teaching him especially about Cubism. By the mid 1940s, Mouly's art was gaining notoriety from collectors and his peers. In 1945, his paintings were exhibited alongside Matisse’s in the Salon d'Automne in Paris. While one may note his visible appreciation of the shapes of Picasso’s Cubism and the deep, bold colors used in Matisse’s Fauvist works, his style is uniquely and unmistakably his own. By the 1950s, Mouly was an emerging brilliant and skilled young painter. In the mid ‘50s, he began to work in lithography and soon became a master printmaker.

Mouly achieved monumental acclaim. He received two of France’s highest honors, including the Chevalier de L’Orde des Arts et Lettres in 1957 and the Premier Prix de Lithographie in 1973. Since his first exhibition in 1947, 20 museums internationally have acquired his artwork for their permanent collections. Marcel Mouly died on January 7, 2008, shortly before his 90th birthday.

“I like Picasso for form and drawing and Braque for rhythm, but Matisse remains my spiritual father.” – Marcel Mouly

Marcel Mouly’s work is light in subject, and bright and bold in hue, allowing the viewer to take a step back and enjoy the aesthetic pleasures in life. His organic, feminine shapes, scenes of harbors, and romantic still life compositions are created with elegant brushstrokes and subtle blending. His compositions are balanced and harmonious with warm and cool components juxtaposed in substantial blocks. As a student of the School of Paris, of which Picasso, Braque, Matisse, and Lipchitz were celebrated practitioners, Mouly was enmeshed in the artistic tidal wave brought on by these modern masters. Taking notes from them, Mouly puts his own twist on Fauvism and Cubism to create his own style.

Mouly was born in Paris, France, on February 6th, 1918. He was interested in drawing as a child but did not intend to make it a career. He was first sent to a drawing class as a form of punishment, but instead exhibited a natural artistic talent. In 1935, after a number of odd jobs and while working for a wine merchant, Mouly began taking night classes in the arts at the Cours Montparnasse 80 until the Second World War in 1938, when he served in the military. In 1942, Mouly was mistaken for a spy, arrested by the Germans, and then spent a year in solitary confinement. It was in this experience that he had a moment of clarity and resolved that he would dedicate himself to becoming an artist.
When he was released, he set about realizing his passion and rented a studio with a fellow artist. Inspiration consumed Mouly as he walked the halls of the French Art Academies. He was overwhelmed with visions of late night critiques and the history behind the pioneers of movements. Jacques Lipchitz, the great sculptor, became his mentor teaching him especially about Cubism. By the mid 1940s, Mouly's art was gaining notoriety from collectors and his peers. In 1945, his paintings were exhibited alongside Matisse’s in the Salon d'Automne in Paris. While one may note his visible appreciation of the shapes of Picasso’s Cubism and the deep, bold colors used in Matisse’s Fauvist works, his style is uniquely and unmistakably his own. By the 1950s, Mouly was an emerging brilliant and skilled young painter. In the mid ‘50s, he began to work in lithography and soon became a master printmaker.

Mouly achieved monumental acclaim. He received two of France’s highest honors, including the Chevalier de L’Orde des Arts et Lettres in 1957 and the Premier Prix de Lithographie in 1973. Since his first exhibition in 1947, 20 museums internationally have acquired his artwork for their permanent collections. Marcel Mouly died on January 7, 2008, shortly before his 90th birthday.

“I like Picasso for form and drawing and Braque for rhythm, but Matisse remains my spiritual father.” – Marcel Mouly

Marcel Mouly’s work is light in subject, and bright and bold in hue, allowing the viewer to take a step back and enjoy the aesthetic pleasures in life. His organic, feminine shapes, scenes of harbors, and romantic still life compositions are created with elegant brushstrokes and subtle blending. His compositions are balanced and harmonious with warm and cool components juxtaposed in substantial blocks. As a student of the School of Paris, of which Picasso, Braque, Matisse, and Lipchitz were celebrated practitioners, Mouly was enmeshed in the artistic tidal wave brought on by these modern masters. Taking notes from them, Mouly puts his own twist on Fauvism and Cubism to create his own style.

Mouly was born in Paris, France, on February 6th, 1918. He was interested in drawing as a child but did not intend to make it a career. He was first sent to a drawing class as a form of punishment, but instead exhibited a natural artistic talent. In 1935, after a number of odd jobs and while working for a wine merchant, Mouly began taking night classes in the arts at the Cours Montparnasse 80 until the Second World War in 1938, when he served in the military. In 1942, Mouly was mistaken for a spy, arrested by the Germans, and then spent a year in solitary confinement. It was in this experience that he had a moment of clarity and resolved that he would dedicate himself to becoming an artist.
When he was released, he set about realizing his passion and rented a studio with a fellow artist. Inspiration consumed Mouly as he walked the halls of the French Art Academies. He was overwhelmed with visions of late night critiques and the history behind the pioneers of movements. Jacques Lipchitz, the great sculptor, became his mentor teaching him especially about Cubism. By the mid 1940s, Mouly's art was gaining notoriety from collectors and his peers. In 1945, his paintings were exhibited alongside Matisse’s in the Salon d'Automne in Paris. While one may note his visible appreciation of the shapes of Picasso’s Cubism and the deep, bold colors used in Matisse’s Fauvist works, his style is uniquely and unmistakably his own. By the 1950s, Mouly was an emerging brilliant and skilled young painter. In the mid ‘50s, he began to work in lithography and soon became a master printmaker.

Mouly achieved monumental acclaim. He received two of France’s highest honors, including the Chevalier de L’Orde des Arts et Lettres in 1957 and the Premier Prix de Lithographie in 1973. Since his first exhibition in 1947, 20 museums internationally have acquired his artwork for their permanent collections. Marcel Mouly died on January 7, 2008, shortly before his 90th birthday.

“I like Picasso for form and drawing and Braque for rhythm, but Matisse remains my spiritual father.” – Marcel Mouly

Marcel Mouly’s work is light in subject, and bright and bold in hue, allowing the viewer to take a step back and enjoy the aesthetic pleasures in life. His organic, feminine shapes, scenes of harbors, and romantic still life compositions are created with elegant brushstrokes and subtle blending. His compositions are balanced and harmonious with warm and cool components juxtaposed in substantial blocks. As a student of the School of Paris, of which Picasso, Braque, Matisse, and Lipchitz were celebrated practitioners, Mouly was enmeshed in the artistic tidal wave brought on by these modern masters. Taking notes from them, Mouly puts his own twist on Fauvism and Cubism to create his own style.

Mouly was born in Paris, France, on February 6th, 1918. He was interested in drawing as a child but did not intend to make it a career. He was first sent to a drawing class as a form of punishment, but instead exhibited a natural artistic talent. In 1935, after a number of odd jobs and while working for a wine merchant, Mouly began taking night classes in the arts at the Cours Montparnasse 80 until the Second World War in 1938, when he served in the military. In 1942, Mouly was mistaken for a spy, arrested by the Germans, and then spent a year in solitary confinement. It was in this experience that he had a moment of clarity and resolved that he would dedicate himself to becoming an artist.
When he was released, he set about realizing his passion and rented a studio with a fellow artist. Inspiration consumed Mouly as he walked the halls of the French Art Academies. He was overwhelmed with visions of late night critiques and the history behind the pioneers of movements. Jacques Lipchitz, the great sculptor, became his mentor teaching him especially about Cubism. By the mid 1940s, Mouly's art was gaining notoriety from collectors and his peers. In 1945, his paintings were exhibited alongside Matisse’s in the Salon d'Automne in Paris. While one may note his visible appreciation of the shapes of Picasso’s Cubism and the deep, bold colors used in Matisse’s Fauvist works, his style is uniquely and unmistakably his own. By the 1950s, Mouly was an emerging brilliant and skilled young painter. In the mid ‘50s, he began to work in lithography and soon became a master printmaker.

Mouly achieved monumental acclaim. He received two of France’s highest honors, including the Chevalier de L’Orde des Arts et Lettres in 1957 and the Premier Prix de Lithographie in 1973. Since his first exhibition in 1947, 20 museums internationally have acquired his artwork for their permanent collections. Marcel Mouly died on January 7, 2008, shortly before his 90th birthday.

“I like Picasso for form and drawing and Braque for rhythm, but Matisse remains my spiritual father.” – Marcel Mouly

Marcel Mouly’s work is light in subject, and bright and bold in hue, allowing the viewer to take a step back and enjoy the aesthetic pleasures in life. His organic, feminine shapes, scenes of harbors, and romantic still life compositions are created with elegant brushstrokes and subtle blending. His compositions are balanced and harmonious with warm and cool components juxtaposed in substantial blocks. As a student of the School of Paris, of which Picasso, Braque, Matisse, and Lipchitz were celebrated practitioners, Mouly was enmeshed in the artistic tidal wave brought on by these modern masters. Taking notes from them, Mouly puts his own twist on Fauvism and Cubism to create his own style.

Mouly was born in Paris, France, on February 6th, 1918. He was interested in drawing as a child but did not intend to make it a career. He was first sent to a drawing class as a form of punishment, but instead exhibited a natural artistic talent. In 1935, after a number of odd jobs and while working for a wine merchant, Mouly began taking night classes in the arts at the Cours Montparnasse 80 until the Second World War in 1938, when he served in the military. In 1942, Mouly was mistaken for a spy, arrested by the Germans, and then spent a year in solitary confinement. It was in this experience that he had a moment of clarity and resolved that he would dedicate himself to becoming an artist.
When he was released, he set about realizing his passion and rented a studio with a fellow artist. Inspiration consumed Mouly as he walked the halls of the French Art Academies. He was overwhelmed with visions of late night critiques and the history behind the pioneers of movements. Jacques Lipchitz, the great sculptor, became his mentor teaching him especially about Cubism. By the mid 1940s, Mouly's art was gaining notoriety from collectors and his peers. In 1945, his paintings were exhibited alongside Matisse’s in the Salon d'Automne in Paris. While one may note his visible appreciation of the shapes of Picasso’s Cubism and the deep, bold colors used in Matisse’s Fauvist works, his style is uniquely and unmistakably his own. By the 1950s, Mouly was an emerging brilliant and skilled young painter. In the mid ‘50s, he began to work in lithography and soon became a master printmaker.

Mouly achieved monumental acclaim. He received two of France’s highest honors, including the Chevalier de L’Orde des Arts et Lettres in 1957 and the Premier Prix de Lithographie in 1973. Since his first exhibition in 1947, 20 museums internationally have acquired his artwork for their permanent collections. Marcel Mouly died on January 7, 2008, shortly before his 90th birthday.

“I like Picasso for form and drawing and Braque for rhythm, but Matisse remains my spiritual father.” – Marcel Mouly

Marcel Mouly’s work is light in subject, and bright and bold in hue, allowing the viewer to take a step back and enjoy the aesthetic pleasures in life. His organic, feminine shapes, scenes of harbors, and romantic still life compositions are created with elegant brushstrokes and subtle blending. His compositions are balanced and harmonious with warm and cool components juxtaposed in substantial blocks. As a student of the School of Paris, of which Picasso, Braque, Matisse, and Lipchitz were celebrated practitioners, Mouly was enmeshed in the artistic tidal wave brought on by these modern masters. Taking notes from them, Mouly puts his own twist on Fauvism and Cubism to create his own style.

Mouly was born in Paris, France, on February 6th, 1918. He was interested in drawing as a child but did not intend to make it a career. He was first sent to a drawing class as a form of punishment, but instead exhibited a natural artistic talent. In 1935, after a number of odd jobs and while working for a wine merchant, Mouly began taking night classes in the arts at the Cours Montparnasse 80 until the Second World War in 1938, when he served in the military. In 1942, Mouly was mistaken for a spy, arrested by the Germans, and then spent a year in solitary confinement. It was in this experience that he had a moment of clarity and resolved that he would dedicate himself to becoming an artist.
When he was released, he set about realizing his passion and rented a studio with a fellow artist. Inspiration consumed Mouly as he walked the halls of the French Art Academies. He was overwhelmed with visions of late night critiques and the history behind the pioneers of movements. Jacques Lipchitz, the great sculptor, became his mentor teaching him especially about Cubism. By the mid 1940s, Mouly's art was gaining notoriety from collectors and his peers. In 1945, his paintings were exhibited alongside Matisse’s in the Salon d'Automne in Paris. While one may note his visible appreciation of the shapes of Picasso’s Cubism and the deep, bold colors used in Matisse’s Fauvist works, his style is uniquely and unmistakably his own. By the 1950s, Mouly was an emerging brilliant and skilled young painter. In the mid ‘50s, he began to work in lithography and soon became a master printmaker.

Mouly achieved monumental acclaim. He received two of France’s highest honors, including the Chevalier de L’Orde des Arts et Lettres in 1957 and the Premier Prix de Lithographie in 1973. Since his first exhibition in 1947, 20 museums internationally have acquired his artwork for their permanent collections. Marcel Mouly died on January 7, 2008, shortly before his 90th birthday.

Internationally renowned Modern Realist, Thomas Pradzynski painted street scenes from cities around the world, but was mostly inspired to capture the mood and spirit of the French capital. He combined a sentimental feeling for the city with a realistic painting technique, uniquely calling up a sense of nostalgia simultaneously with the immediacy of the present.

Pradzynski was born in Lodz, Poland in 1951. He studied art at the Lycée Français de Varsovie for several years before receiving a master’s in sociology and economics. In 1977, he and his wife Joanna moved to Paris where he fine-tuned his style of Parisian street scenes. His inspiration came from the idea of art capturing beauty as it was, before it faded. Spending decades in Paris perfecting his work, Pradzynski used the city as his muse, creating stunning images of streets and alleys. Friend and gallery director Cyd Gloer said, “Thomas was so passionate about painting. He painted every single day. He had five studios in Paris and each one had different lighting. If the light wasn’t right in one studio, he’d go to another studio”. Tragically, while walking the streets of Paris with his wife in 2007, Pradzynski died in an altercation with a dangerous motorist who ruptured his aorta after a punch to his chest.

Several galleries and exhibitions have shown Pradzynski’s work in the United States, Canada, and Japan. His pieces have intrigued celebrities, politicians, and well-known individuals such as actor Denzel Washington, former Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger, and writer Jackie Collins.
American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Thomas Pradzynski. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

Internationally renowned Modern Realist, Thomas Pradzynski painted street scenes from cities around the world, but was mostly inspired to capture the mood and spirit of the French capital. He combined a sentimental feeling for the city with a realistic painting technique, uniquely calling up a sense of nostalgia simultaneously with the immediacy of the present.

Pradzynski was born in Lodz, Poland in 1951. He studied art at the Lycée Français de Varsovie for several years before receiving a master’s in sociology and economics. In 1977, he and his wife Joanna moved to Paris where he fine-tuned his style of Parisian street scenes. His inspiration came from the idea of art capturing beauty as it was, before it faded. Spending decades in Paris perfecting his work, Pradzynski used the city as his muse, creating stunning images of streets and alleys. Friend and gallery director Cyd Gloer said, “Thomas was so passionate about painting. He painted every single day. He had five studios in Paris and each one had different lighting. If the light wasn’t right in one studio, he’d go to another studio”. Tragically, while walking the streets of Paris with his wife in 2007, Pradzynski died in an altercation with a dangerous motorist who ruptured his aorta after a punch to his chest.

Several galleries and exhibitions have shown Pradzynski’s work in the United States, Canada, and Japan. His pieces have intrigued celebrities, politicians, and well-known individuals such as actor Denzel Washington, former Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger, and writer Jackie Collins.
American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Thomas Pradzynski. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

Internationally renowned Modern Realist, Thomas Pradzynski painted street scenes from cities around the world, but was mostly inspired to capture the mood and spirit of the French capital. He combined a sentimental feeling for the city with a realistic painting technique, uniquely calling up a sense of nostalgia simultaneously with the immediacy of the present.

Pradzynski was born in Lodz, Poland in 1951. He studied art at the Lycée Français de Varsovie for several years before receiving a master’s in sociology and economics. In 1977, he and his wife Joanna moved to Paris where he fine-tuned his style of Parisian street scenes. His inspiration came from the idea of art capturing beauty as it was, before it faded. Spending decades in Paris perfecting his work, Pradzynski used the city as his muse, creating stunning images of streets and alleys. Friend and gallery director Cyd Gloer said, “Thomas was so passionate about painting. He painted every single day. He had five studios in Paris and each one had different lighting. If the light wasn’t right in one studio, he’d go to another studio”. Tragically, while walking the streets of Paris with his wife in 2007, Pradzynski died in an altercation with a dangerous motorist who ruptured his aorta after a punch to his chest.

Several galleries and exhibitions have shown Pradzynski’s work in the United States, Canada, and Japan. His pieces have intrigued celebrities, politicians, and well-known individuals such as actor Denzel Washington, former Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger, and writer Jackie Collins.
American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Thomas Pradzynski. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

Internationally renowned Modern Realist, Thomas Pradzynski painted street scenes from cities around the world, but was mostly inspired to capture the mood and spirit of the French capital. He combined a sentimental feeling for the city with a realistic painting technique, uniquely calling up a sense of nostalgia simultaneously with the immediacy of the present.

Pradzynski was born in Lodz, Poland in 1951. He studied art at the Lycée Français de Varsovie for several years before receiving a master’s in sociology and economics. In 1977, he and his wife Joanna moved to Paris where he fine-tuned his style of Parisian street scenes. His inspiration came from the idea of art capturing beauty as it was, before it faded. Spending decades in Paris perfecting his work, Pradzynski used the city as his muse, creating stunning images of streets and alleys. Friend and gallery director Cyd Gloer said, “Thomas was so passionate about painting. He painted every single day. He had five studios in Paris and each one had different lighting. If the light wasn’t right in one studio, he’d go to another studio”. Tragically, while walking the streets of Paris with his wife in 2007, Pradzynski died in an altercation with a dangerous motorist who ruptured his aorta after a punch to his chest.

Several galleries and exhibitions have shown Pradzynski’s work in the United States, Canada, and Japan. His pieces have intrigued celebrities, politicians, and well-known individuals such as actor Denzel Washington, former Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger, and writer Jackie Collins.
American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Thomas Pradzynski. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

Internationally renowned Modern Realist, Thomas Pradzynski painted street scenes from cities around the world, but was mostly inspired to capture the mood and spirit of the French capital. He combined a sentimental feeling for the city with a realistic painting technique, uniquely calling up a sense of nostalgia simultaneously with the immediacy of the present.

Pradzynski was born in Lodz, Poland in 1951. He studied art at the Lycée Français de Varsovie for several years before receiving a master’s in sociology and economics. In 1977, he and his wife Joanna moved to Paris where he fine-tuned his style of Parisian street scenes. His inspiration came from the idea of art capturing beauty as it was, before it faded. Spending decades in Paris perfecting his work, Pradzynski used the city as his muse, creating stunning images of streets and alleys. Friend and gallery director Cyd Gloer said, “Thomas was so passionate about painting. He painted every single day. He had five studios in Paris and each one had different lighting. If the light wasn’t right in one studio, he’d go to another studio”. Tragically, while walking the streets of Paris with his wife in 2007, Pradzynski died in an altercation with a dangerous motorist who ruptured his aorta after a punch to his chest.

Several galleries and exhibitions have shown Pradzynski’s work in the United States, Canada, and Japan. His pieces have intrigued celebrities, politicians, and well-known individuals such as actor Denzel Washington, former Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger, and writer Jackie Collins.
American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Thomas Pradzynski. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

Internationally renowned Modern Realist, Thomas Pradzynski painted street scenes from cities around the world, but was mostly inspired to capture the mood and spirit of the French capital. He combined a sentimental feeling for the city with a realistic painting technique, uniquely calling up a sense of nostalgia simultaneously with the immediacy of the present.

Pradzynski was born in Lodz, Poland in 1951. He studied art at the Lycée Français de Varsovie for several years before receiving a master’s in sociology and economics. In 1977, he and his wife Joanna moved to Paris where he fine-tuned his style of Parisian street scenes. His inspiration came from the idea of art capturing beauty as it was, before it faded. Spending decades in Paris perfecting his work, Pradzynski used the city as his muse, creating stunning images of streets and alleys. Friend and gallery director Cyd Gloer said, “Thomas was so passionate about painting. He painted every single day. He had five studios in Paris and each one had different lighting. If the light wasn’t right in one studio, he’d go to another studio”. Tragically, while walking the streets of Paris with his wife in 2007, Pradzynski died in an altercation with a dangerous motorist who ruptured his aorta after a punch to his chest.

Several galleries and exhibitions have shown Pradzynski’s work in the United States, Canada, and Japan. His pieces have intrigued celebrities, politicians, and well-known individuals such as actor Denzel Washington, former Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger, and writer Jackie Collins.
American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Thomas Pradzynski. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

Internationally renowned Modern Realist, Thomas Pradzynski painted street scenes from cities around the world, but was mostly inspired to capture the mood and spirit of the French capital. He combined a sentimental feeling for the city with a realistic painting technique, uniquely calling up a sense of nostalgia simultaneously with the immediacy of the present.

Pradzynski was born in Lodz, Poland in 1951. He studied art at the Lycée Français de Varsovie for several years before receiving a master’s in sociology and economics. In 1977, he and his wife Joanna moved to Paris where he fine-tuned his style of Parisian street scenes. His inspiration came from the idea of art capturing beauty as it was, before it faded. Spending decades in Paris perfecting his work, Pradzynski used the city as his muse, creating stunning images of streets and alleys. Friend and gallery director Cyd Gloer said, “Thomas was so passionate about painting. He painted every single day. He had five studios in Paris and each one had different lighting. If the light wasn’t right in one studio, he’d go to another studio”. Tragically, while walking the streets of Paris with his wife in 2007, Pradzynski died in an altercation with a dangerous motorist who ruptured his aorta after a punch to his chest.

Several galleries and exhibitions have shown Pradzynski’s work in the United States, Canada, and Japan. His pieces have intrigued celebrities, politicians, and well-known individuals such as actor Denzel Washington, former Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger, and writer Jackie Collins.
American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Thomas Pradzynski. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

Internationally renowned Modern Realist, Thomas Pradzynski painted street scenes from cities around the world, but was mostly inspired to capture the mood and spirit of the French capital. He combined a sentimental feeling for the city with a realistic painting technique, uniquely calling up a sense of nostalgia simultaneously with the immediacy of the present.

Pradzynski was born in Lodz, Poland in 1951. He studied art at the Lycée Français de Varsovie for several years before receiving a master’s in sociology and economics. In 1977, he and his wife Joanna moved to Paris where he fine-tuned his style of Parisian street scenes. His inspiration came from the idea of art capturing beauty as it was, before it faded. Spending decades in Paris perfecting his work, Pradzynski used the city as his muse, creating stunning images of streets and alleys. Friend and gallery director Cyd Gloer said, “Thomas was so passionate about painting. He painted every single day. He had five studios in Paris and each one had different lighting. If the light wasn’t right in one studio, he’d go to another studio”. Tragically, while walking the streets of Paris with his wife in 2007, Pradzynski died in an altercation with a dangerous motorist who ruptured his aorta after a punch to his chest.

Several galleries and exhibitions have shown Pradzynski’s work in the United States, Canada, and Japan. His pieces have intrigued celebrities, politicians, and well-known individuals such as actor Denzel Washington, former Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger, and writer Jackie Collins.
American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Thomas Pradzynski. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

Internationally renowned Modern Realist, Thomas Pradzynski painted street scenes from cities around the world, but was mostly inspired to capture the mood and spirit of the French capital. He combined a sentimental feeling for the city with a realistic painting technique, uniquely calling up a sense of nostalgia simultaneously with the immediacy of the present.

Pradzynski was born in Lodz, Poland in 1951. He studied art at the Lycée Français de Varsovie for several years before receiving a master’s in sociology and economics. In 1977, he and his wife Joanna moved to Paris where he fine-tuned his style of Parisian street scenes. His inspiration came from the idea of art capturing beauty as it was, before it faded. Spending decades in Paris perfecting his work, Pradzynski used the city as his muse, creating stunning images of streets and alleys. Friend and gallery director Cyd Gloer said, “Thomas was so passionate about painting. He painted every single day. He had five studios in Paris and each one had different lighting. If the light wasn’t right in one studio, he’d go to another studio”. Tragically, while walking the streets of Paris with his wife in 2007, Pradzynski died in an altercation with a dangerous motorist who ruptured his aorta after a punch to his chest.

Several galleries and exhibitions have shown Pradzynski’s work in the United States, Canada, and Japan. His pieces have intrigued celebrities, politicians, and well-known individuals such as actor Denzel Washington, former Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger, and writer Jackie Collins.
American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Thomas Pradzynski. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

Internationally renowned Modern Realist, Thomas Pradzynski painted street scenes from cities around the world, but was mostly inspired to capture the mood and spirit of the French capital. He combined a sentimental feeling for the city with a realistic painting technique, uniquely calling up a sense of nostalgia simultaneously with the immediacy of the present.

Pradzynski was born in Lodz, Poland in 1951. He studied art at the Lycée Français de Varsovie for several years before receiving a master’s in sociology and economics. In 1977, he and his wife Joanna moved to Paris where he fine-tuned his style of Parisian street scenes. His inspiration came from the idea of art capturing beauty as it was, before it faded. Spending decades in Paris perfecting his work, Pradzynski used the city as his muse, creating stunning images of streets and alleys. Friend and gallery director Cyd Gloer said, “Thomas was so passionate about painting. He painted every single day. He had five studios in Paris and each one had different lighting. If the light wasn’t right in one studio, he’d go to another studio”. Tragically, while walking the streets of Paris with his wife in 2007, Pradzynski died in an altercation with a dangerous motorist who ruptured his aorta after a punch to his chest.

Several galleries and exhibitions have shown Pradzynski’s work in the United States, Canada, and Japan. His pieces have intrigued celebrities, politicians, and well-known individuals such as actor Denzel Washington, former Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger, and writer Jackie Collins.
American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Thomas Pradzynski. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

Internationally renowned Modern Realist, Thomas Pradzynski painted street scenes from cities around the world, but was mostly inspired to capture the mood and spirit of the French capital. He combined a sentimental feeling for the city with a realistic painting technique, uniquely calling up a sense of nostalgia simultaneously with the immediacy of the present.

Pradzynski was born in Lodz, Poland in 1951. He studied art at the Lycée Français de Varsovie for several years before receiving a master’s in sociology and economics. In 1977, he and his wife Joanna moved to Paris where he fine-tuned his style of Parisian street scenes. His inspiration came from the idea of art capturing beauty as it was, before it faded. Spending decades in Paris perfecting his work, Pradzynski used the city as his muse, creating stunning images of streets and alleys. Friend and gallery director Cyd Gloer said, “Thomas was so passionate about painting. He painted every single day. He had five studios in Paris and each one had different lighting. If the light wasn’t right in one studio, he’d go to another studio”. Tragically, while walking the streets of Paris with his wife in 2007, Pradzynski died in an altercation with a dangerous motorist who ruptured his aorta after a punch to his chest.

Several galleries and exhibitions have shown Pradzynski’s work in the United States, Canada, and Japan. His pieces have intrigued celebrities, politicians, and well-known individuals such as actor Denzel Washington, former Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger, and writer Jackie Collins.
American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Thomas Pradzynski. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

Internationally renowned Modern Realist, Thomas Pradzynski painted street scenes from cities around the world, but was mostly inspired to capture the mood and spirit of the French capital. He combined a sentimental feeling for the city with a realistic painting technique, uniquely calling up a sense of nostalgia simultaneously with the immediacy of the present.

Pradzynski was born in Lodz, Poland in 1951. He studied art at the Lycée Français de Varsovie for several years before receiving a master’s in sociology and economics. In 1977, he and his wife Joanna moved to Paris where he fine-tuned his style of Parisian street scenes. His inspiration came from the idea of art capturing beauty as it was, before it faded. Spending decades in Paris perfecting his work, Pradzynski used the city as his muse, creating stunning images of streets and alleys. Friend and gallery director Cyd Gloer said, “Thomas was so passionate about painting. He painted every single day. He had five studios in Paris and each one had different lighting. If the light wasn’t right in one studio, he’d go to another studio”. Tragically, while walking the streets of Paris with his wife in 2007, Pradzynski died in an altercation with a dangerous motorist who ruptured his aorta after a punch to his chest.

Several galleries and exhibitions have shown Pradzynski’s work in the United States, Canada, and Japan. His pieces have intrigued celebrities, politicians, and well-known individuals such as actor Denzel Washington, former Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger, and writer Jackie Collins.
American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Thomas Pradzynski. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

Internationally renowned Modern Realist, Thomas Pradzynski painted street scenes from cities around the world, but was mostly inspired to capture the mood and spirit of the French capital. He combined a sentimental feeling for the city with a realistic painting technique, uniquely calling up a sense of nostalgia simultaneously with the immediacy of the present.

Pradzynski was born in Lodz, Poland in 1951. He studied art at the Lycée Français de Varsovie for several years before receiving a master’s in sociology and economics. In 1977, he and his wife Joanna moved to Paris where he fine-tuned his style of Parisian street scenes. His inspiration came from the idea of art capturing beauty as it was, before it faded. Spending decades in Paris perfecting his work, Pradzynski used the city as his muse, creating stunning images of streets and alleys. Friend and gallery director Cyd Gloer said, “Thomas was so passionate about painting. He painted every single day. He had five studios in Paris and each one had different lighting. If the light wasn’t right in one studio, he’d go to another studio”. Tragically, while walking the streets of Paris with his wife in 2007, Pradzynski died in an altercation with a dangerous motorist who ruptured his aorta after a punch to his chest.

Several galleries and exhibitions have shown Pradzynski’s work in the United States, Canada, and Japan. His pieces have intrigued celebrities, politicians, and well-known individuals such as actor Denzel Washington, former Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger, and writer Jackie Collins.
American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Thomas Pradzynski. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

Internationally renowned Modern Realist, Thomas Pradzynski painted street scenes from cities around the world, but was mostly inspired to capture the mood and spirit of the French capital. He combined a sentimental feeling for the city with a realistic painting technique, uniquely calling up a sense of nostalgia simultaneously with the immediacy of the present.

Pradzynski was born in Lodz, Poland in 1951. He studied art at the Lycée Français de Varsovie for several years before receiving a master’s in sociology and economics. In 1977, he and his wife Joanna moved to Paris where he fine-tuned his style of Parisian street scenes. His inspiration came from the idea of art capturing beauty as it was, before it faded. Spending decades in Paris perfecting his work, Pradzynski used the city as his muse, creating stunning images of streets and alleys. Friend and gallery director Cyd Gloer said, “Thomas was so passionate about painting. He painted every single day. He had five studios in Paris and each one had different lighting. If the light wasn’t right in one studio, he’d go to another studio”. Tragically, while walking the streets of Paris with his wife in 2007, Pradzynski died in an altercation with a dangerous motorist who ruptured his aorta after a punch to his chest.

Several galleries and exhibitions have shown Pradzynski’s work in the United States, Canada, and Japan. His pieces have intrigued celebrities, politicians, and well-known individuals such as actor Denzel Washington, former Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger, and writer Jackie Collins.
American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Thomas Pradzynski. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, AZ or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.

“My paintings force the viewer to think, and it is for the viewer to respond to the art based on his own personal experiences.” - Max Papart
Max Papart’s Cubist paintings and their sunny humor and cheerful subjects brighten the minds of his viewers. Papart’s work is visually and intellectually stimulating. He uses a bold palette and interesting juxtapositions of flat, overlapping planes of contrasting patterns and textures, as well as concepts such as the “window”, in which the viewer can sense another place or time through his pieces. The artist referred to himself as a composer; claiming he composed art, instead of painting it.
A master printer, Papart produced important hand-printed aquatints, carborundum etchings, lithographs, and creative mixed media graphics. The Director of the Bibliothèque National in Paris stated some of the most significant prints made in France during the 20th century were by Papart.
Max Papart was born in Marseille but moved to Paris in 1936, where he learned the processes of classic engraving. Then in 1960, he took up the new etching technique, carborundum, invented by his friend, Henri Goetz. In addition to his studies, he also taught printmaking at the University of Paris VIII in Vincennes. In the 1980s, in collaboration with Robert Dutrou, Morsang Atelier, and Kenneth Nahan, Papart created a series of aquatints called Masterprints. Etching the copper plates took from six months to a year and printing the edition would be another six months, with each plate hand-inked for each piece of paper, to create small editions of 50 to 85 prints.
Papart was incredibly personal in his art, painting whenever the inspiration struck and letting the creativity flow. He made his own plates and supervised the processing of his own prints until his death in 1994 at age 83. Galleries and museums in Paris, the United States, Jerusalem, and many more places around the world continue to exhibit his pieces.

“My paintings force the viewer to think, and it is for the viewer to respond to the art based on his own personal experiences.” - Max Papart
Max Papart’s Cubist paintings and their sunny humor and cheerful subjects brighten the minds of his viewers. Papart’s work is visually and intellectually stimulating. He uses a bold palette and interesting juxtapositions of flat, overlapping planes of contrasting patterns and textures, as well as concepts such as the “window”, in which the viewer can sense another place or time through his pieces. The artist referred to himself as a composer; claiming he composed art, instead of painting it.
A master printer, Papart produced important hand-printed aquatints, carborundum etchings, lithographs, and creative mixed media graphics. The Director of the Bibliothèque National in Paris stated some of the most significant prints made in France during the 20th century were by Papart.
Max Papart was born in Marseille but moved to Paris in 1936, where he learned the processes of classic engraving. Then in 1960, he took up the new etching technique, carborundum, invented by his friend, Henri Goetz. In addition to his studies, he also taught printmaking at the University of Paris VIII in Vincennes. In the 1980s, in collaboration with Robert Dutrou, Morsang Atelier, and Kenneth Nahan, Papart created a series of aquatints called Masterprints. Etching the copper plates took from six months to a year and printing the edition would be another six months, with each plate hand-inked for each piece of paper, to create small editions of 50 to 85 prints.
Papart was incredibly personal in his art, painting whenever the inspiration struck and letting the creativity flow. He made his own plates and supervised the processing of his own prints until his death in 1994 at age 83. Galleries and museums in Paris, the United States, Jerusalem, and many more places around the world continue to exhibit his pieces.

“If painting were not a pleasure to me I should certainly not do it.”
-Renoir

Renoir is recognized across the globe as one of the greatest painters of the Impressionist period, the momentous time that was the launching point for modern art in a world of historically traditional art. Impressionism appeared in the late 1860s, and fully bloomed over the next three decades. The youngest member of the Impressionists, Pierre-Auguste Renoir was essential to developing the radical style, which was focused on conveying realistic light effects and optical sensations in nature, like the difference between perceived color and local color. Perceived color is the color that reaches your eye, that you actually experience, and is highly dependent on light pockets, shading, other colors in the area, and the color of the lighting, etc., whereas local color is the simple expected color of the object. An apple in the dark would still be called red if you were referring to its local color. While highlighting and shading had become more prominent during the Renaissance than previously, academic artists were still engaging much more heavily with local color. The Impressionists were the first movement to really start working in depth with perceived color. 

“If painting were not a pleasure to me I should certainly not do it.”
-Renoir

Renoir is recognized across the globe as one of the greatest painters of the Impressionist period, the momentous time that was the launching point for modern art in a world of historically traditional art. Impressionism appeared in the late 1860s, and fully bloomed over the next three decades. The youngest member of the Impressionists, Pierre-Auguste Renoir was essential to developing the radical style, which was focused on conveying realistic light effects and optical sensations in nature, like the difference between perceived color and local color. Perceived color is the color that reaches your eye, that you actually experience, and is highly dependent on light pockets, shading, other colors in the area, and the color of the lighting, etc., whereas local color is the simple expected color of the object. An apple in the dark would still be called red if you were referring to its local color. While highlighting and shading had become more prominent during the Renaissance than previously, academic artists were still engaging much more heavily with local color. The Impressionists were the first movement to really start working in depth with perceived color. 

“If painting were not a pleasure to me I should certainly not do it.”
-Renoir

Renoir is recognized across the globe as one of the greatest painters of the Impressionist period, the momentous time that was the launching point for modern art in a world of historically traditional art. Impressionism appeared in the late 1860s, and fully bloomed over the next three decades. The youngest member of the Impressionists, Pierre-Auguste Renoir was essential to developing the radical style, which was focused on conveying realistic light effects and optical sensations in nature, like the difference between perceived color and local color. Perceived color is the color that reaches your eye, that you actually experience, and is highly dependent on light pockets, shading, other colors in the area, and the color of the lighting, etc., whereas local color is the simple expected color of the object. An apple in the dark would still be called red if you were referring to its local color. While highlighting and shading had become more prominent during the Renaissance than previously, academic artists were still engaging much more heavily with local color. The Impressionists were the first movement to really start working in depth with perceived color. 

“If painting were not a pleasure to me I should certainly not do it.”
-Renoir

Renoir is recognized across the globe as one of the greatest painters of the Impressionist period, the momentous time that was the launching point for modern art in a world of historically traditional art. Impressionism appeared in the late 1860s, and fully bloomed over the next three decades. The youngest member of the Impressionists, Pierre-Auguste Renoir was essential to developing the radical style, which was focused on conveying realistic light effects and optical sensations in nature, like the difference between perceived color and local color. Perceived color is the color that reaches your eye, that you actually experience, and is highly dependent on light pockets, shading, other colors in the area, and the color of the lighting, etc., whereas local color is the simple expected color of the object. An apple in the dark would still be called red if you were referring to its local color. While highlighting and shading had become more prominent during the Renaissance than previously, academic artists were still engaging much more heavily with local color. The Impressionists were the first movement to really start working in depth with perceived color. 

“If painting were not a pleasure to me I should certainly not do it.”
-Renoir

Renoir is recognized across the globe as one of the greatest painters of the Impressionist period, the momentous time that was the launching point for modern art in a world of historically traditional art. Impressionism appeared in the late 1860s, and fully bloomed over the next three decades. The youngest member of the Impressionists, Pierre-Auguste Renoir was essential to developing the radical style, which was focused on conveying realistic light effects and optical sensations in nature, like the difference between perceived color and local color. Perceived color is the color that reaches your eye, that you actually experience, and is highly dependent on light pockets, shading, other colors in the area, and the color of the lighting, etc., whereas local color is the simple expected color of the object. An apple in the dark would still be called red if you were referring to its local color. While highlighting and shading had become more prominent during the Renaissance than previously, academic artists were still engaging much more heavily with local color. The Impressionists were the first movement to really start working in depth with perceived color. 

“If painting were not a pleasure to me I should certainly not do it.”
-Renoir

Renoir is recognized across the globe as one of the greatest painters of the Impressionist period, the momentous time that was the launching point for modern art in a world of historically traditional art. Impressionism appeared in the late 1860s, and fully bloomed over the next three decades. The youngest member of the Impressionists, Pierre-Auguste Renoir was essential to developing the radical style, which was focused on conveying realistic light effects and optical sensations in nature, like the difference between perceived color and local color. Perceived color is the color that reaches your eye, that you actually experience, and is highly dependent on light pockets, shading, other colors in the area, and the color of the lighting, etc., whereas local color is the simple expected color of the object. An apple in the dark would still be called red if you were referring to its local color. While highlighting and shading had become more prominent during the Renaissance than previously, academic artists were still engaging much more heavily with local color. The Impressionists were the first movement to really start working in depth with perceived color. 

“If painting were not a pleasure to me I should certainly not do it.”
-Renoir

Renoir is recognized across the globe as one of the greatest painters of the Impressionist period, the momentous time that was the launching point for modern art in a world of historically traditional art. Impressionism appeared in the late 1860s, and fully bloomed over the next three decades. The youngest member of the Impressionists, Pierre-Auguste Renoir was essential to developing the radical style, which was focused on conveying realistic light effects and optical sensations in nature, like the difference between perceived color and local color. Perceived color is the color that reaches your eye, that you actually experience, and is highly dependent on light pockets, shading, other colors in the area, and the color of the lighting, etc., whereas local color is the simple expected color of the object. An apple in the dark would still be called red if you were referring to its local color. While highlighting and shading had become more prominent during the Renaissance than previously, academic artists were still engaging much more heavily with local color. The Impressionists were the first movement to really start working in depth with perceived color. 

“If painting were not a pleasure to me I should certainly not do it.”
-Renoir

Renoir is recognized across the globe as one of the greatest painters of the Impressionist period, the momentous time that was the launching point for modern art in a world of historically traditional art. Impressionism appeared in the late 1860s, and fully bloomed over the next three decades. The youngest member of the Impressionists, Pierre-Auguste Renoir was essential to developing the radical style, which was focused on conveying realistic light effects and optical sensations in nature, like the difference between perceived color and local color. Perceived color is the color that reaches your eye, that you actually experience, and is highly dependent on light pockets, shading, other colors in the area, and the color of the lighting, etc., whereas local color is the simple expected color of the object. An apple in the dark would still be called red if you were referring to its local color. While highlighting and shading had become more prominent during the Renaissance than previously, academic artists were still engaging much more heavily with local color. The Impressionists were the first movement to really start working in depth with perceived color. 

“If painting were not a pleasure to me I should certainly not do it.”
-Renoir

Renoir is recognized across the globe as one of the greatest painters of the Impressionist period, the momentous time that was the launching point for modern art in a world of historically traditional art. Impressionism appeared in the late 1860s, and fully bloomed over the next three decades. The youngest member of the Impressionists, Pierre-Auguste Renoir was essential to developing the radical style, which was focused on conveying realistic light effects and optical sensations in nature, like the difference between perceived color and local color. Perceived color is the color that reaches your eye, that you actually experience, and is highly dependent on light pockets, shading, other colors in the area, and the color of the lighting, etc., whereas local color is the simple expected color of the object. An apple in the dark would still be called red if you were referring to its local color. While highlighting and shading had become more prominent during the Renaissance than previously, academic artists were still engaging much more heavily with local color. The Impressionists were the first movement to really start working in depth with perceived color. 

“Bodies are playhouses for people’s inner lives”

• Théo Tobiasse

Celebrated artist Théo Tobiasse was a postwar contemporary master of the Paris School. With rich colors and loose brushstrokes, his works depict symbolic iconography and people, evoking a Judeo-Christian mysticism in a similar vein to Chagall, yet undeniably unique and distinctly his own. Influenced by Surrealism, Expressionism, and modern Primitivism, the artist quickly became the most popular of the up-and-coming Jewish painters after WWII when he began painting in 1960. He connected folk stories and Biblical stories to Jewish contemporary life. As he said, “For me, it is the same when people exit from Russia to America or from Egypt to Canaan.” Elements of his own past, his dreams, mythology, Judaic, and biblical legends, and themes of exile mingle in his images of revered folklore, erotic fantasies of Woman as a lover, or of Woman as mother, and of cities, like Paris, Venice, New York, and Jerusalem. Exile was a pivotal force in his own life as his family had been forced into hiding during the war while he was a teenager. The experience was deeply impactful, shaping the rest of his artistic future. As a defining part of his past, and linked to his faith, exile became a growing theme in his work, visible in the imagery, for example, a candelabra representing the glow of hope, in titles, and in words used visually. As author Chaim Potok observed in his book, Theo Tobiasse: Artist in Exile, “One cannot escape the feeling that he uses colors and words to conquer the evils he has experienced in the flesh, hence, the lively primitivism… and the stately themes of the tribe.” 

His style is a fusion of techniques that compound into a full-bodied, poetic magma that exalts the senses. An earthy and rainbowed palette glimmers through sensual textures, authentic and imaginative drawing, and often meaningful concepts. Words were magic to him and he included them in his images - to prolong the experience, as opposed to explain it. Some of his works contain words that he wrote, then painted over, or some a Hebrew symbol he pasted on and then covered with paint or ink. If one holds the work to the light, they might see hints of the message. A richness pervades his work, as well as dreamlike and emotional qualities.
 
The artist’s parents were Lithuanian and moved from there to Palestine, at the time, now Israel, hoping to find the Promised Land, which is where Théo was born in 1927, just after they arrived. They struggled and unable to make things work, moved back to Lithuania while Theo was still very little. Subjects and symbols in his later artwork would refer to this time, like the round teapots and paunchy samovars, the lights of steamers decorated with colored flags going down the Niémen river, sleds in the snowy streets of Kovno, and the country home in the greenery of Kaletova. His father was fearful of violent riots occurring against Jewish communities at the time in Eastern Europe, so in 1931, they moved again, with five-year-old Theo, traveling through Germany and Berlin, this time hoping his father would find work in Paris. Adjusting to the new culture was difficult, but Paris would forever retain an aura of nostalgia for Theo, a feeling also visible in his paintings. 

In the summer of 1940, when Theo was 13, Nazi forces took over Paris, but he was able to continue his education mostly undisturbed for around two years. As a Jew he could no longer attend public schools, so he studied art at a private school. He went to Montmartre daily to sketch, a picturesque area where artists famously gathered. In July of 1942, however, that ended when the Germans began rounding up Jews and forcing them into concentration camps. With the help of a Christian concierge in their building in the 18th arrondissement, the Tobiasse family went into hiding in a small, unoccupied apartment. The Nazis did come and search for them, but came to the conclusion that the Tobiasses had fled. They lived for 25 months, from July of 1942 to August of 1944, in a tiny living space, without what most would consider the basics – making noise, stepping outside, turning on lights, or burning candles. They were nearly discovered more than once. Though the space was at most dimly lit by the light that filtered through the closed shutters, Theo spent his time drawing, reading, and playing chess with his father, which is where the chessboard imagery in his work comes from. They survived thanks to the help of their Christian neighbor and Jewish members of the French Resistance, whom they relied upon to bring them food and other necessities. The Resistance also provided them with a way to make some money; they brought them materials to produce rabbit fur slippers to sell. Theo would trace the slipper shape for his father to cut and his mother to sew into slippers. On August 25, 1944, Paris was liberated, and 17-year-old Theo stepped outside for the first time in two years. 

He had amassed a large portfolio of drawings created in hiding, which made it possible for him to find employment with advertising companies. He would work for the next 15 years as a very successful commercial advertising artist, for companies including Hermes, utilizing his ability to draw realistically. He stayed in Paris until 1950, when he moved to Nice. Tobiasse was extremely mindful of needing to support himself financially, and saw commercial art as his only practical career choice, not believing he could support himself as a fine artist.

 He spoke of the shift in the book, Tobiasse: Artist in Exile, to author Chaim Potok: “I never dreamed of art. One day it just happened. I cannot explain it. I had in my studio three unpainted white canvases. Maybe ten years I had them. One day I decided to paint. I don’t know why.” One of them was noticed at an exhibition of young artists at the Palais de la Mediterranee in Nice in 1960, and he won first prize, and then won the Dorothy Gould Prize in 1961. From then on collectors and art galleries continued to buy his work and by 1962, he was able to devote himself to painting full-time. He believed he could communicate his feelings more directly through the use of color and abstracted images, and moved away from the more realistic representation of his commercial career. The transition changed his life. He referred to the time before making art as his “first life,” and claimed that once he started making art he was “really free.” For the next 50 years, Tobiasse enjoyed ever-increasing recognition and popularity across the world, with solo shows in places including New York, Paris, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, and Caracas. 

In 1976, he moved to St. Paul de Vence, where he would live and work for the rest of his life, although he began traveling to the United States extensively around 1980, particularly New York. He found a place in Manhattan where he could work for several months every year and worked more closely there with his friends and other artists. He no longer felt as comfortable in Europe due to tension between Russia and other countries at the time, and would say, “I’m sure I couldn’t live through a second occupation.” Among the work he created in New York, one piece contained the written phrase, “My soul is a boat looking for its promised land.” 

In 1989, he was asked to decorate the Saint Saveur Chapel in Le Cannet, France, around the theme, “Celebration of Life”. He designed colorful stained-glass windows, sculptures, magnificent frescoes on the interior walls weaving together biblical themes with messages of peace, love, and harmony, and a mosaic of marble, natural stone and glass above the chapel’s exterior entrance. Tobiasse continued to create and explore his past and present until he passed on at age 85 on November 3, 2012 in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France. 

Several monographs have been published on Theo Tobiasse’s work. The artist produced paintings, pastels, drawings, prints, etchings, pottery, sculpture, and stained glass. Many exhibitions and solo shows have been held throughout the world, and his work is found many international galleries and museums including the Biblioteque Nationale and Grand Palaise in Paris, Musee de l’Athenee in Geneva, Hôtel de Ville in Nancy, Galerie Chave in St. Paul, Waddington Galleries in London, Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, International Art Fair in Basel, and Salon d’Art Francais in Tokyo, Petit-Palais in Geneval, among others. He created illustrated works for lovers of fine books, plus etchings and engravings, making his own plates and closely supervising all aspects of the printing process. Some of his sketchbooks have also been published. He enjoyed ceramics as well, producing pottery and dishes, as well as a series of small bronze sculptures. He also created monumental works such as the fountain entitled “L’Enfant Fou” for the Arenas Business Centre at Nice Airport, and stained-glass windows for various institutions in Strasbourg and Nice. With his decoration of the chapel St-Sauveur in Le Cannet, Tobiasse joined other illustrious twentieth century artists who also decorated chapels in the South of France like Picasso in Valauris, Matisse in Vence, and Jean Cocteau in Villefranche-su-Mer.

“Bodies are playhouses for people’s inner lives”

• Théo Tobiasse

Celebrated artist Théo Tobiasse was a postwar contemporary master of the Paris School. With rich colors and loose brushstrokes, his works depict symbolic iconography and people, evoking a Judeo-Christian mysticism in a similar vein to Chagall, yet undeniably unique and distinctly his own. Influenced by Surrealism, Expressionism, and modern Primitivism, the artist quickly became the most popular of the up-and-coming Jewish painters after WWII when he began painting in 1960. He connected folk stories and Biblical stories to Jewish contemporary life. As he said, “For me, it is the same when people exit from Russia to America or from Egypt to Canaan.” Elements of his own past, his dreams, mythology, Judaic, and biblical legends, and themes of exile mingle in his images of revered folklore, erotic fantasies of Woman as a lover, or of Woman as mother, and of cities, like Paris, Venice, New York, and Jerusalem. Exile was a pivotal force in his own life as his family had been forced into hiding during the war while he was a teenager. The experience was deeply impactful, shaping the rest of his artistic future. As a defining part of his past, and linked to his faith, exile became a growing theme in his work, visible in the imagery, for example, a candelabra representing the glow of hope, in titles, and in words used visually. As author Chaim Potok observed in his book, Theo Tobiasse: Artist in Exile, “One cannot escape the feeling that he uses colors and words to conquer the evils he has experienced in the flesh, hence, the lively primitivism… and the stately themes of the tribe.” 

His style is a fusion of techniques that compound into a full-bodied, poetic magma that exalts the senses. An earthy and rainbowed palette glimmers through sensual textures, authentic and imaginative drawing, and often meaningful concepts. Words were magic to him and he included them in his images - to prolong the experience, as opposed to explain it. Some of his works contain words that he wrote, then painted over, or some a Hebrew symbol he pasted on and then covered with paint or ink. If one holds the work to the light, they might see hints of the message. A richness pervades his work, as well as dreamlike and emotional qualities.
 
The artist’s parents were Lithuanian and moved from there to Palestine, at the time, now Israel, hoping to find the Promised Land, which is where Théo was born in 1927, just after they arrived. They struggled and unable to make things work, moved back to Lithuania while Theo was still very little. Subjects and symbols in his later artwork would refer to this time, like the round teapots and paunchy samovars, the lights of steamers decorated with colored flags going down the Niémen river, sleds in the snowy streets of Kovno, and the country home in the greenery of Kaletova. His father was fearful of violent riots occurring against Jewish communities at the time in Eastern Europe, so in 1931, they moved again, with five-year-old Theo, traveling through Germany and Berlin, this time hoping his father would find work in Paris. Adjusting to the new culture was difficult, but Paris would forever retain an aura of nostalgia for Theo, a feeling also visible in his paintings. 

In the summer of 1940, when Theo was 13, Nazi forces took over Paris, but he was able to continue his education mostly undisturbed for around two years. As a Jew he could no longer attend public schools, so he studied art at a private school. He went to Montmartre daily to sketch, a picturesque area where artists famously gathered. In July of 1942, however, that ended when the Germans began rounding up Jews and forcing them into concentration camps. With the help of a Christian concierge in their building in the 18th arrondissement, the Tobiasse family went into hiding in a small, unoccupied apartment. The Nazis did come and search for them, but came to the conclusion that the Tobiasses had fled. They lived for 25 months, from July of 1942 to August of 1944, in a tiny living space, without what most would consider the basics – making noise, stepping outside, turning on lights, or burning candles. They were nearly discovered more than once. Though the space was at most dimly lit by the light that filtered through the closed shutters, Theo spent his time drawing, reading, and playing chess with his father, which is where the chessboard imagery in his work comes from. They survived thanks to the help of their Christian neighbor and Jewish members of the French Resistance, whom they relied upon to bring them food and other necessities. The Resistance also provided them with a way to make some money; they brought them materials to produce rabbit fur slippers to sell. Theo would trace the slipper shape for his father to cut and his mother to sew into slippers. On August 25, 1944, Paris was liberated, and 17-year-old Theo stepped outside for the first time in two years. 

He had amassed a large portfolio of drawings created in hiding, which made it possible for him to find employment with advertising companies. He would work for the next 15 years as a very successful commercial advertising artist, for companies including Hermes, utilizing his ability to draw realistically. He stayed in Paris until 1950, when he moved to Nice. Tobiasse was extremely mindful of needing to support himself financially, and saw commercial art as his only practical career choice, not believing he could support himself as a fine artist.

 He spoke of the shift in the book, Tobiasse: Artist in Exile, to author Chaim Potok: “I never dreamed of art. One day it just happened. I cannot explain it. I had in my studio three unpainted white canvases. Maybe ten years I had them. One day I decided to paint. I don’t know why.” One of them was noticed at an exhibition of young artists at the Palais de la Mediterranee in Nice in 1960, and he won first prize, and then won the Dorothy Gould Prize in 1961. From then on collectors and art galleries continued to buy his work and by 1962, he was able to devote himself to painting full-time. He believed he could communicate his feelings more directly through the use of color and abstracted images, and moved away from the more realistic representation of his commercial career. The transition changed his life. He referred to the time before making art as his “first life,” and claimed that once he started making art he was “really free.” For the next 50 years, Tobiasse enjoyed ever-increasing recognition and popularity across the world, with solo shows in places including New York, Paris, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, and Caracas. 

In 1976, he moved to St. Paul de Vence, where he would live and work for the rest of his life, although he began traveling to the United States extensively around 1980, particularly New York. He found a place in Manhattan where he could work for several months every year and worked more closely there with his friends and other artists. He no longer felt as comfortable in Europe due to tension between Russia and other countries at the time, and would say, “I’m sure I couldn’t live through a second occupation.” Among the work he created in New York, one piece contained the written phrase, “My soul is a boat looking for its promised land.” 

In 1989, he was asked to decorate the Saint Saveur Chapel in Le Cannet, France, around the theme, “Celebration of Life”. He designed colorful stained-glass windows, sculptures, magnificent frescoes on the interior walls weaving together biblical themes with messages of peace, love, and harmony, and a mosaic of marble, natural stone and glass above the chapel’s exterior entrance. Tobiasse continued to create and explore his past and present until he passed on at age 85 on November 3, 2012 in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France. 

Several monographs have been published on Theo Tobiasse’s work. The artist produced paintings, pastels, drawings, prints, etchings, pottery, sculpture, and stained glass. Many exhibitions and solo shows have been held throughout the world, and his work is found many international galleries and museums including the Biblioteque Nationale and Grand Palaise in Paris, Musee de l’Athenee in Geneva, Hôtel de Ville in Nancy, Galerie Chave in St. Paul, Waddington Galleries in London, Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, International Art Fair in Basel, and Salon d’Art Francais in Tokyo, Petit-Palais in Geneval, among others. He created illustrated works for lovers of fine books, plus etchings and engravings, making his own plates and closely supervising all aspects of the printing process. Some of his sketchbooks have also been published. He enjoyed ceramics as well, producing pottery and dishes, as well as a series of small bronze sculptures. He also created monumental works such as the fountain entitled “L’Enfant Fou” for the Arenas Business Centre at Nice Airport, and stained-glass windows for various institutions in Strasbourg and Nice. With his decoration of the chapel St-Sauveur in Le Cannet, Tobiasse joined other illustrious twentieth century artists who also decorated chapels in the South of France like Picasso in Valauris, Matisse in Vence, and Jean Cocteau in Villefranche-su-Mer.

“Bodies are playhouses for people’s inner lives”

• Théo Tobiasse

Celebrated artist Théo Tobiasse was a postwar contemporary master of the Paris School. With rich colors and loose brushstrokes, his works depict symbolic iconography and people, evoking a Judeo-Christian mysticism in a similar vein to Chagall, yet undeniably unique and distinctly his own. Influenced by Surrealism, Expressionism, and modern Primitivism, the artist quickly became the most popular of the up-and-coming Jewish painters after WWII when he began painting in 1960. He connected folk stories and Biblical stories to Jewish contemporary life. As he said, “For me, it is the same when people exit from Russia to America or from Egypt to Canaan.” Elements of his own past, his dreams, mythology, Judaic, and biblical legends, and themes of exile mingle in his images of revered folklore, erotic fantasies of Woman as a lover, or of Woman as mother, and of cities, like Paris, Venice, New York, and Jerusalem. Exile was a pivotal force in his own life as his family had been forced into hiding during the war while he was a teenager. The experience was deeply impactful, shaping the rest of his artistic future. As a defining part of his past, and linked to his faith, exile became a growing theme in his work, visible in the imagery, for example, a candelabra representing the glow of hope, in titles, and in words used visually. As author Chaim Potok observed in his book, Theo Tobiasse: Artist in Exile, “One cannot escape the feeling that he uses colors and words to conquer the evils he has experienced in the flesh, hence, the lively primitivism… and the stately themes of the tribe.” 

His style is a fusion of techniques that compound into a full-bodied, poetic magma that exalts the senses. An earthy and rainbowed palette glimmers through sensual textures, authentic and imaginative drawing, and often meaningful concepts. Words were magic to him and he included them in his images - to prolong the experience, as opposed to explain it. Some of his works contain words that he wrote, then painted over, or some a Hebrew symbol he pasted on and then covered with paint or ink. If one holds the work to the light, they might see hints of the message. A richness pervades his work, as well as dreamlike and emotional qualities.
 
The artist’s parents were Lithuanian and moved from there to Palestine, at the time, now Israel, hoping to find the Promised Land, which is where Théo was born in 1927, just after they arrived. They struggled and unable to make things work, moved back to Lithuania while Theo was still very little. Subjects and symbols in his later artwork would refer to this time, like the round teapots and paunchy samovars, the lights of steamers decorated with colored flags going down the Niémen river, sleds in the snowy streets of Kovno, and the country home in the greenery of Kaletova. His father was fearful of violent riots occurring against Jewish communities at the time in Eastern Europe, so in 1931, they moved again, with five-year-old Theo, traveling through Germany and Berlin, this time hoping his father would find work in Paris. Adjusting to the new culture was difficult, but Paris would forever retain an aura of nostalgia for Theo, a feeling also visible in his paintings. 

In the summer of 1940, when Theo was 13, Nazi forces took over Paris, but he was able to continue his education mostly undisturbed for around two years. As a Jew he could no longer attend public schools, so he studied art at a private school. He went to Montmartre daily to sketch, a picturesque area where artists famously gathered. In July of 1942, however, that ended when the Germans began rounding up Jews and forcing them into concentration camps. With the help of a Christian concierge in their building in the 18th arrondissement, the Tobiasse family went into hiding in a small, unoccupied apartment. The Nazis did come and search for them, but came to the conclusion that the Tobiasses had fled. They lived for 25 months, from July of 1942 to August of 1944, in a tiny living space, without what most would consider the basics – making noise, stepping outside, turning on lights, or burning candles. They were nearly discovered more than once. Though the space was at most dimly lit by the light that filtered through the closed shutters, Theo spent his time drawing, reading, and playing chess with his father, which is where the chessboard imagery in his work comes from. They survived thanks to the help of their Christian neighbor and Jewish members of the French Resistance, whom they relied upon to bring them food and other necessities. The Resistance also provided them with a way to make some money; they brought them materials to produce rabbit fur slippers to sell. Theo would trace the slipper shape for his father to cut and his mother to sew into slippers. On August 25, 1944, Paris was liberated, and 17-year-old Theo stepped outside for the first time in two years. 

He had amassed a large portfolio of drawings created in hiding, which made it possible for him to find employment with advertising companies. He would work for the next 15 years as a very successful commercial advertising artist, for companies including Hermes, utilizing his ability to draw realistically. He stayed in Paris until 1950, when he moved to Nice. Tobiasse was extremely mindful of needing to support himself financially, and saw commercial art as his only practical career choice, not believing he could support himself as a fine artist.

 He spoke of the shift in the book, Tobiasse: Artist in Exile, to author Chaim Potok: “I never dreamed of art. One day it just happened. I cannot explain it. I had in my studio three unpainted white canvases. Maybe ten years I had them. One day I decided to paint. I don’t know why.” One of them was noticed at an exhibition of young artists at the Palais de la Mediterranee in Nice in 1960, and he won first prize, and then won the Dorothy Gould Prize in 1961. From then on collectors and art galleries continued to buy his work and by 1962, he was able to devote himself to painting full-time. He believed he could communicate his feelings more directly through the use of color and abstracted images, and moved away from the more realistic representation of his commercial career. The transition changed his life. He referred to the time before making art as his “first life,” and claimed that once he started making art he was “really free.” For the next 50 years, Tobiasse enjoyed ever-increasing recognition and popularity across the world, with solo shows in places including New York, Paris, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, and Caracas. 

In 1976, he moved to St. Paul de Vence, where he would live and work for the rest of his life, although he began traveling to the United States extensively around 1980, particularly New York. He found a place in Manhattan where he could work for several months every year and worked more closely there with his friends and other artists. He no longer felt as comfortable in Europe due to tension between Russia and other countries at the time, and would say, “I’m sure I couldn’t live through a second occupation.” Among the work he created in New York, one piece contained the written phrase, “My soul is a boat looking for its promised land.” 

In 1989, he was asked to decorate the Saint Saveur Chapel in Le Cannet, France, around the theme, “Celebration of Life”. He designed colorful stained-glass windows, sculptures, magnificent frescoes on the interior walls weaving together biblical themes with messages of peace, love, and harmony, and a mosaic of marble, natural stone and glass above the chapel’s exterior entrance. Tobiasse continued to create and explore his past and present until he passed on at age 85 on November 3, 2012 in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France. 

Several monographs have been published on Theo Tobiasse’s work. The artist produced paintings, pastels, drawings, prints, etchings, pottery, sculpture, and stained glass. Many exhibitions and solo shows have been held throughout the world, and his work is found many international galleries and museums including the Biblioteque Nationale and Grand Palaise in Paris, Musee de l’Athenee in Geneva, Hôtel de Ville in Nancy, Galerie Chave in St. Paul, Waddington Galleries in London, Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, International Art Fair in Basel, and Salon d’Art Francais in Tokyo, Petit-Palais in Geneval, among others. He created illustrated works for lovers of fine books, plus etchings and engravings, making his own plates and closely supervising all aspects of the printing process. Some of his sketchbooks have also been published. He enjoyed ceramics as well, producing pottery and dishes, as well as a series of small bronze sculptures. He also created monumental works such as the fountain entitled “L’Enfant Fou” for the Arenas Business Centre at Nice Airport, and stained-glass windows for various institutions in Strasbourg and Nice. With his decoration of the chapel St-Sauveur in Le Cannet, Tobiasse joined other illustrious twentieth century artists who also decorated chapels in the South of France like Picasso in Valauris, Matisse in Vence, and Jean Cocteau in Villefranche-su-Mer.

“Bodies are playhouses for people’s inner lives”

• Théo Tobiasse

Celebrated artist Théo Tobiasse was a postwar contemporary master of the Paris School. With rich colors and loose brushstrokes, his works depict symbolic iconography and people, evoking a Judeo-Christian mysticism in a similar vein to Chagall, yet undeniably unique and distinctly his own. Influenced by Surrealism, Expressionism, and modern Primitivism, the artist quickly became the most popular of the up-and-coming Jewish painters after WWII when he began painting in 1960. He connected folk stories and Biblical stories to Jewish contemporary life. As he said, “For me, it is the same when people exit from Russia to America or from Egypt to Canaan.” Elements of his own past, his dreams, mythology, Judaic, and biblical legends, and themes of exile mingle in his images of revered folklore, erotic fantasies of Woman as a lover, or of Woman as mother, and of cities, like Paris, Venice, New York, and Jerusalem. Exile was a pivotal force in his own life as his family had been forced into hiding during the war while he was a teenager. The experience was deeply impactful, shaping the rest of his artistic future. As a defining part of his past, and linked to his faith, exile became a growing theme in his work, visible in the imagery, for example, a candelabra representing the glow of hope, in titles, and in words used visually. As author Chaim Potok observed in his book, Theo Tobiasse: Artist in Exile, “One cannot escape the feeling that he uses colors and words to conquer the evils he has experienced in the flesh, hence, the lively primitivism… and the stately themes of the tribe.” 

His style is a fusion of techniques that compound into a full-bodied, poetic magma that exalts the senses. An earthy and rainbowed palette glimmers through sensual textures, authentic and imaginative drawing, and often meaningful concepts. Words were magic to him and he included them in his images - to prolong the experience, as opposed to explain it. Some of his works contain words that he wrote, then painted over, or some a Hebrew symbol he pasted on and then covered with paint or ink. If one holds the work to the light, they might see hints of the message. A richness pervades his work, as well as dreamlike and emotional qualities.
 
The artist’s parents were Lithuanian and moved from there to Palestine, at the time, now Israel, hoping to find the Promised Land, which is where Théo was born in 1927, just after they arrived. They struggled and unable to make things work, moved back to Lithuania while Theo was still very little. Subjects and symbols in his later artwork would refer to this time, like the round teapots and paunchy samovars, the lights of steamers decorated with colored flags going down the Niémen river, sleds in the snowy streets of Kovno, and the country home in the greenery of Kaletova. His father was fearful of violent riots occurring against Jewish communities at the time in Eastern Europe, so in 1931, they moved again, with five-year-old Theo, traveling through Germany and Berlin, this time hoping his father would find work in Paris. Adjusting to the new culture was difficult, but Paris would forever retain an aura of nostalgia for Theo, a feeling also visible in his paintings. 

In the summer of 1940, when Theo was 13, Nazi forces took over Paris, but he was able to continue his education mostly undisturbed for around two years. As a Jew he could no longer attend public schools, so he studied art at a private school. He went to Montmartre daily to sketch, a picturesque area where artists famously gathered. In July of 1942, however, that ended when the Germans began rounding up Jews and forcing them into concentration camps. With the help of a Christian concierge in their building in the 18th arrondissement, the Tobiasse family went into hiding in a small, unoccupied apartment. The Nazis did come and search for them, but came to the conclusion that the Tobiasses had fled. They lived for 25 months, from July of 1942 to August of 1944, in a tiny living space, without what most would consider the basics – making noise, stepping outside, turning on lights, or burning candles. They were nearly discovered more than once. Though the space was at most dimly lit by the light that filtered through the closed shutters, Theo spent his time drawing, reading, and playing chess with his father, which is where the chessboard imagery in his work comes from. They survived thanks to the help of their Christian neighbor and Jewish members of the French Resistance, whom they relied upon to bring them food and other necessities. The Resistance also provided them with a way to make some money; they brought them materials to produce rabbit fur slippers to sell. Theo would trace the slipper shape for his father to cut and his mother to sew into slippers. On August 25, 1944, Paris was liberated, and 17-year-old Theo stepped outside for the first time in two years. 

He had amassed a large portfolio of drawings created in hiding, which made it possible for him to find employment with advertising companies. He would work for the next 15 years as a very successful commercial advertising artist, for companies including Hermes, utilizing his ability to draw realistically. He stayed in Paris until 1950, when he moved to Nice. Tobiasse was extremely mindful of needing to support himself financially, and saw commercial art as his only practical career choice, not believing he could support himself as a fine artist.

 He spoke of the shift in the book, Tobiasse: Artist in Exile, to author Chaim Potok: “I never dreamed of art. One day it just happened. I cannot explain it. I had in my studio three unpainted white canvases. Maybe ten years I had them. One day I decided to paint. I don’t know why.” One of them was noticed at an exhibition of young artists at the Palais de la Mediterranee in Nice in 1960, and he won first prize, and then won the Dorothy Gould Prize in 1961. From then on collectors and art galleries continued to buy his work and by 1962, he was able to devote himself to painting full-time. He believed he could communicate his feelings more directly through the use of color and abstracted images, and moved away from the more realistic representation of his commercial career. The transition changed his life. He referred to the time before making art as his “first life,” and claimed that once he started making art he was “really free.” For the next 50 years, Tobiasse enjoyed ever-increasing recognition and popularity across the world, with solo shows in places including New York, Paris, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, and Caracas. 

In 1976, he moved to St. Paul de Vence, where he would live and work for the rest of his life, although he began traveling to the United States extensively around 1980, particularly New York. He found a place in Manhattan where he could work for several months every year and worked more closely there with his friends and other artists. He no longer felt as comfortable in Europe due to tension between Russia and other countries at the time, and would say, “I’m sure I couldn’t live through a second occupation.” Among the work he created in New York, one piece contained the written phrase, “My soul is a boat looking for its promised land.” 

In 1989, he was asked to decorate the Saint Saveur Chapel in Le Cannet, France, around the theme, “Celebration of Life”. He designed colorful stained-glass windows, sculptures, magnificent frescoes on the interior walls weaving together biblical themes with messages of peace, love, and harmony, and a mosaic of marble, natural stone and glass above the chapel’s exterior entrance. Tobiasse continued to create and explore his past and present until he passed on at age 85 on November 3, 2012 in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France. 

Several monographs have been published on Theo Tobiasse’s work. The artist produced paintings, pastels, drawings, prints, etchings, pottery, sculpture, and stained glass. Many exhibitions and solo shows have been held throughout the world, and his work is found many international galleries and museums including the Biblioteque Nationale and Grand Palaise in Paris, Musee de l’Athenee in Geneva, Hôtel de Ville in Nancy, Galerie Chave in St. Paul, Waddington Galleries in London, Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, International Art Fair in Basel, and Salon d’Art Francais in Tokyo, Petit-Palais in Geneval, among others. He created illustrated works for lovers of fine books, plus etchings and engravings, making his own plates and closely supervising all aspects of the printing process. Some of his sketchbooks have also been published. He enjoyed ceramics as well, producing pottery and dishes, as well as a series of small bronze sculptures. He also created monumental works such as the fountain entitled “L’Enfant Fou” for the Arenas Business Centre at Nice Airport, and stained-glass windows for various institutions in Strasbourg and Nice. With his decoration of the chapel St-Sauveur in Le Cannet, Tobiasse joined other illustrious twentieth century artists who also decorated chapels in the South of France like Picasso in Valauris, Matisse in Vence, and Jean Cocteau in Villefranche-su-Mer.

“Bodies are playhouses for people’s inner lives”

• Théo Tobiasse

Celebrated artist Théo Tobiasse was a postwar contemporary master of the Paris School. With rich colors and loose brushstrokes, his works depict symbolic iconography and people, evoking a Judeo-Christian mysticism in a similar vein to Chagall, yet undeniably unique and distinctly his own. Influenced by Surrealism, Expressionism, and modern Primitivism, the artist quickly became the most popular of the up-and-coming Jewish painters after WWII when he began painting in 1960. He connected folk stories and Biblical stories to Jewish contemporary life. As he said, “For me, it is the same when people exit from Russia to America or from Egypt to Canaan.” Elements of his own past, his dreams, mythology, Judaic, and biblical legends, and themes of exile mingle in his images of revered folklore, erotic fantasies of Woman as a lover, or of Woman as mother, and of cities, like Paris, Venice, New York, and Jerusalem. Exile was a pivotal force in his own life as his family had been forced into hiding during the war while he was a teenager. The experience was deeply impactful, shaping the rest of his artistic future. As a defining part of his past, and linked to his faith, exile became a growing theme in his work, visible in the imagery, for example, a candelabra representing the glow of hope, in titles, and in words used visually. As author Chaim Potok observed in his book, Theo Tobiasse: Artist in Exile, “One cannot escape the feeling that he uses colors and words to conquer the evils he has experienced in the flesh, hence, the lively primitivism… and the stately themes of the tribe.” 

His style is a fusion of techniques that compound into a full-bodied, poetic magma that exalts the senses. An earthy and rainbowed palette glimmers through sensual textures, authentic and imaginative drawing, and often meaningful concepts. Words were magic to him and he included them in his images - to prolong the experience, as opposed to explain it. Some of his works contain words that he wrote, then painted over, or some a Hebrew symbol he pasted on and then covered with paint or ink. If one holds the work to the light, they might see hints of the message. A richness pervades his work, as well as dreamlike and emotional qualities.
 
The artist’s parents were Lithuanian and moved from there to Palestine, at the time, now Israel, hoping to find the Promised Land, which is where Théo was born in 1927, just after they arrived. They struggled and unable to make things work, moved back to Lithuania while Theo was still very little. Subjects and symbols in his later artwork would refer to this time, like the round teapots and paunchy samovars, the lights of steamers decorated with colored flags going down the Niémen river, sleds in the snowy streets of Kovno, and the country home in the greenery of Kaletova. His father was fearful of violent riots occurring against Jewish communities at the time in Eastern Europe, so in 1931, they moved again, with five-year-old Theo, traveling through Germany and Berlin, this time hoping his father would find work in Paris. Adjusting to the new culture was difficult, but Paris would forever retain an aura of nostalgia for Theo, a feeling also visible in his paintings. 

In the summer of 1940, when Theo was 13, Nazi forces took over Paris, but he was able to continue his education mostly undisturbed for around two years. As a Jew he could no longer attend public schools, so he studied art at a private school. He went to Montmartre daily to sketch, a picturesque area where artists famously gathered. In July of 1942, however, that ended when the Germans began rounding up Jews and forcing them into concentration camps. With the help of a Christian concierge in their building in the 18th arrondissement, the Tobiasse family went into hiding in a small, unoccupied apartment. The Nazis did come and search for them, but came to the conclusion that the Tobiasses had fled. They lived for 25 months, from July of 1942 to August of 1944, in a tiny living space, without what most would consider the basics – making noise, stepping outside, turning on lights, or burning candles. They were nearly discovered more than once. Though the space was at most dimly lit by the light that filtered through the closed shutters, Theo spent his time drawing, reading, and playing chess with his father, which is where the chessboard imagery in his work comes from. They survived thanks to the help of their Christian neighbor and Jewish members of the French Resistance, whom they relied upon to bring them food and other necessities. The Resistance also provided them with a way to make some money; they brought them materials to produce rabbit fur slippers to sell. Theo would trace the slipper shape for his father to cut and his mother to sew into slippers. On August 25, 1944, Paris was liberated, and 17-year-old Theo stepped outside for the first time in two years. 

He had amassed a large portfolio of drawings created in hiding, which made it possible for him to find employment with advertising companies. He would work for the next 15 years as a very successful commercial advertising artist, for companies including Hermes, utilizing his ability to draw realistically. He stayed in Paris until 1950, when he moved to Nice. Tobiasse was extremely mindful of needing to support himself financially, and saw commercial art as his only practical career choice, not believing he could support himself as a fine artist.

 He spoke of the shift in the book, Tobiasse: Artist in Exile, to author Chaim Potok: “I never dreamed of art. One day it just happened. I cannot explain it. I had in my studio three unpainted white canvases. Maybe ten years I had them. One day I decided to paint. I don’t know why.” One of them was noticed at an exhibition of young artists at the Palais de la Mediterranee in Nice in 1960, and he won first prize, and then won the Dorothy Gould Prize in 1961. From then on collectors and art galleries continued to buy his work and by 1962, he was able to devote himself to painting full-time. He believed he could communicate his feelings more directly through the use of color and abstracted images, and moved away from the more realistic representation of his commercial career. The transition changed his life. He referred to the time before making art as his “first life,” and claimed that once he started making art he was “really free.” For the next 50 years, Tobiasse enjoyed ever-increasing recognition and popularity across the world, with solo shows in places including New York, Paris, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, and Caracas. 

In 1976, he moved to St. Paul de Vence, where he would live and work for the rest of his life, although he began traveling to the United States extensively around 1980, particularly New York. He found a place in Manhattan where he could work for several months every year and worked more closely there with his friends and other artists. He no longer felt as comfortable in Europe due to tension between Russia and other countries at the time, and would say, “I’m sure I couldn’t live through a second occupation.” Among the work he created in New York, one piece contained the written phrase, “My soul is a boat looking for its promised land.” 

In 1989, he was asked to decorate the Saint Saveur Chapel in Le Cannet, France, around the theme, “Celebration of Life”. He designed colorful stained-glass windows, sculptures, magnificent frescoes on the interior walls weaving together biblical themes with messages of peace, love, and harmony, and a mosaic of marble, natural stone and glass above the chapel’s exterior entrance. Tobiasse continued to create and explore his past and present until he passed on at age 85 on November 3, 2012 in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France. 

Several monographs have been published on Theo Tobiasse’s work. The artist produced paintings, pastels, drawings, prints, etchings, pottery, sculpture, and stained glass. Many exhibitions and solo shows have been held throughout the world, and his work is found many international galleries and museums including the Biblioteque Nationale and Grand Palaise in Paris, Musee de l’Athenee in Geneva, Hôtel de Ville in Nancy, Galerie Chave in St. Paul, Waddington Galleries in London, Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, International Art Fair in Basel, and Salon d’Art Francais in Tokyo, Petit-Palais in Geneval, among others. He created illustrated works for lovers of fine books, plus etchings and engravings, making his own plates and closely supervising all aspects of the printing process. Some of his sketchbooks have also been published. He enjoyed ceramics as well, producing pottery and dishes, as well as a series of small bronze sculptures. He also created monumental works such as the fountain entitled “L’Enfant Fou” for the Arenas Business Centre at Nice Airport, and stained-glass windows for various institutions in Strasbourg and Nice. With his decoration of the chapel St-Sauveur in Le Cannet, Tobiasse joined other illustrious twentieth century artists who also decorated chapels in the South of France like Picasso in Valauris, Matisse in Vence, and Jean Cocteau in Villefranche-su-Mer.

“Bodies are playhouses for people’s inner lives”

• Théo Tobiasse

Celebrated artist Théo Tobiasse was a postwar contemporary master of the Paris School. With rich colors and loose brushstrokes, his works depict symbolic iconography and people, evoking a Judeo-Christian mysticism in a similar vein to Chagall, yet undeniably unique and distinctly his own. Influenced by Surrealism, Expressionism, and modern Primitivism, the artist quickly became the most popular of the up-and-coming Jewish painters after WWII when he began painting in 1960. He connected folk stories and Biblical stories to Jewish contemporary life. As he said, “For me, it is the same when people exit from Russia to America or from Egypt to Canaan.” Elements of his own past, his dreams, mythology, Judaic, and biblical legends, and themes of exile mingle in his images of revered folklore, erotic fantasies of Woman as a lover, or of Woman as mother, and of cities, like Paris, Venice, New York, and Jerusalem. Exile was a pivotal force in his own life as his family had been forced into hiding during the war while he was a teenager. The experience was deeply impactful, shaping the rest of his artistic future. As a defining part of his past, and linked to his faith, exile became a growing theme in his work, visible in the imagery, for example, a candelabra representing the glow of hope, in titles, and in words used visually. As author Chaim Potok observed in his book, Theo Tobiasse: Artist in Exile, “One cannot escape the feeling that he uses colors and words to conquer the evils he has experienced in the flesh, hence, the lively primitivism… and the stately themes of the tribe.” 

His style is a fusion of techniques that compound into a full-bodied, poetic magma that exalts the senses. An earthy and rainbowed palette glimmers through sensual textures, authentic and imaginative drawing, and often meaningful concepts. Words were magic to him and he included them in his images - to prolong the experience, as opposed to explain it. Some of his works contain words that he wrote, then painted over, or some a Hebrew symbol he pasted on and then covered with paint or ink. If one holds the work to the light, they might see hints of the message. A richness pervades his work, as well as dreamlike and emotional qualities.
 
The artist’s parents were Lithuanian and moved from there to Palestine, at the time, now Israel, hoping to find the Promised Land, which is where Théo was born in 1927, just after they arrived. They struggled and unable to make things work, moved back to Lithuania while Theo was still very little. Subjects and symbols in his later artwork would refer to this time, like the round teapots and paunchy samovars, the lights of steamers decorated with colored flags going down the Niémen river, sleds in the snowy streets of Kovno, and the country home in the greenery of Kaletova. His father was fearful of violent riots occurring against Jewish communities at the time in Eastern Europe, so in 1931, they moved again, with five-year-old Theo, traveling through Germany and Berlin, this time hoping his father would find work in Paris. Adjusting to the new culture was difficult, but Paris would forever retain an aura of nostalgia for Theo, a feeling also visible in his paintings. 

In the summer of 1940, when Theo was 13, Nazi forces took over Paris, but he was able to continue his education mostly undisturbed for around two years. As a Jew he could no longer attend public schools, so he studied art at a private school. He went to Montmartre daily to sketch, a picturesque area where artists famously gathered. In July of 1942, however, that ended when the Germans began rounding up Jews and forcing them into concentration camps. With the help of a Christian concierge in their building in the 18th arrondissement, the Tobiasse family went into hiding in a small, unoccupied apartment. The Nazis did come and search for them, but came to the conclusion that the Tobiasses had fled. They lived for 25 months, from July of 1942 to August of 1944, in a tiny living space, without what most would consider the basics – making noise, stepping outside, turning on lights, or burning candles. They were nearly discovered more than once. Though the space was at most dimly lit by the light that filtered through the closed shutters, Theo spent his time drawing, reading, and playing chess with his father, which is where the chessboard imagery in his work comes from. They survived thanks to the help of their Christian neighbor and Jewish members of the French Resistance, whom they relied upon to bring them food and other necessities. The Resistance also provided them with a way to make some money; they brought them materials to produce rabbit fur slippers to sell. Theo would trace the slipper shape for his father to cut and his mother to sew into slippers. On August 25, 1944, Paris was liberated, and 17-year-old Theo stepped outside for the first time in two years. 

He had amassed a large portfolio of drawings created in hiding, which made it possible for him to find employment with advertising companies. He would work for the next 15 years as a very successful commercial advertising artist, for companies including Hermes, utilizing his ability to draw realistically. He stayed in Paris until 1950, when he moved to Nice. Tobiasse was extremely mindful of needing to support himself financially, and saw commercial art as his only practical career choice, not believing he could support himself as a fine artist.

 He spoke of the shift in the book, Tobiasse: Artist in Exile, to author Chaim Potok: “I never dreamed of art. One day it just happened. I cannot explain it. I had in my studio three unpainted white canvases. Maybe ten years I had them. One day I decided to paint. I don’t know why.” One of them was noticed at an exhibition of young artists at the Palais de la Mediterranee in Nice in 1960, and he won first prize, and then won the Dorothy Gould Prize in 1961. From then on collectors and art galleries continued to buy his work and by 1962, he was able to devote himself to painting full-time. He believed he could communicate his feelings more directly through the use of color and abstracted images, and moved away from the more realistic representation of his commercial career. The transition changed his life. He referred to the time before making art as his “first life,” and claimed that once he started making art he was “really free.” For the next 50 years, Tobiasse enjoyed ever-increasing recognition and popularity across the world, with solo shows in places including New York, Paris, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, and Caracas. 

In 1976, he moved to St. Paul de Vence, where he would live and work for the rest of his life, although he began traveling to the United States extensively around 1980, particularly New York. He found a place in Manhattan where he could work for several months every year and worked more closely there with his friends and other artists. He no longer felt as comfortable in Europe due to tension between Russia and other countries at the time, and would say, “I’m sure I couldn’t live through a second occupation.” Among the work he created in New York, one piece contained the written phrase, “My soul is a boat looking for its promised land.” 

In 1989, he was asked to decorate the Saint Saveur Chapel in Le Cannet, France, around the theme, “Celebration of Life”. He designed colorful stained-glass windows, sculptures, magnificent frescoes on the interior walls weaving together biblical themes with messages of peace, love, and harmony, and a mosaic of marble, natural stone and glass above the chapel’s exterior entrance. Tobiasse continued to create and explore his past and present until he passed on at age 85 on November 3, 2012 in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France. 

Several monographs have been published on Theo Tobiasse’s work. The artist produced paintings, pastels, drawings, prints, etchings, pottery, sculpture, and stained glass. Many exhibitions and solo shows have been held throughout the world, and his work is found many international galleries and museums including the Biblioteque Nationale and Grand Palaise in Paris, Musee de l’Athenee in Geneva, Hôtel de Ville in Nancy, Galerie Chave in St. Paul, Waddington Galleries in London, Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, International Art Fair in Basel, and Salon d’Art Francais in Tokyo, Petit-Palais in Geneval, among others. He created illustrated works for lovers of fine books, plus etchings and engravings, making his own plates and closely supervising all aspects of the printing process. Some of his sketchbooks have also been published. He enjoyed ceramics as well, producing pottery and dishes, as well as a series of small bronze sculptures. He also created monumental works such as the fountain entitled “L’Enfant Fou” for the Arenas Business Centre at Nice Airport, and stained-glass windows for various institutions in Strasbourg and Nice. With his decoration of the chapel St-Sauveur in Le Cannet, Tobiasse joined other illustrious twentieth century artists who also decorated chapels in the South of France like Picasso in Valauris, Matisse in Vence, and Jean Cocteau in Villefranche-su-Mer.

“Bodies are playhouses for people’s inner lives”

• Théo Tobiasse

Celebrated artist Théo Tobiasse was a postwar contemporary master of the Paris School. With rich colors and loose brushstrokes, his works depict symbolic iconography and people, evoking a Judeo-Christian mysticism in a similar vein to Chagall, yet undeniably unique and distinctly his own. Influenced by Surrealism, Expressionism, and modern Primitivism, the artist quickly became the most popular of the up-and-coming Jewish painters after WWII when he began painting in 1960. He connected folk stories and Biblical stories to Jewish contemporary life. As he said, “For me, it is the same when people exit from Russia to America or from Egypt to Canaan.” Elements of his own past, his dreams, mythology, Judaic, and biblical legends, and themes of exile mingle in his images of revered folklore, erotic fantasies of Woman as a lover, or of Woman as mother, and of cities, like Paris, Venice, New York, and Jerusalem. Exile was a pivotal force in his own life as his family had been forced into hiding during the war while he was a teenager. The experience was deeply impactful, shaping the rest of his artistic future. As a defining part of his past, and linked to his faith, exile became a growing theme in his work, visible in the imagery, for example, a candelabra representing the glow of hope, in titles, and in words used visually. As author Chaim Potok observed in his book, Theo Tobiasse: Artist in Exile, “One cannot escape the feeling that he uses colors and words to conquer the evils he has experienced in the flesh, hence, the lively primitivism… and the stately themes of the tribe.” 

His style is a fusion of techniques that compound into a full-bodied, poetic magma that exalts the senses. An earthy and rainbowed palette glimmers through sensual textures, authentic and imaginative drawing, and often meaningful concepts. Words were magic to him and he included them in his images - to prolong the experience, as opposed to explain it. Some of his works contain words that he wrote, then painted over, or some a Hebrew symbol he pasted on and then covered with paint or ink. If one holds the work to the light, they might see hints of the message. A richness pervades his work, as well as dreamlike and emotional qualities.
 
The artist’s parents were Lithuanian and moved from there to Palestine, at the time, now Israel, hoping to find the Promised Land, which is where Théo was born in 1927, just after they arrived. They struggled and unable to make things work, moved back to Lithuania while Theo was still very little. Subjects and symbols in his later artwork would refer to this time, like the round teapots and paunchy samovars, the lights of steamers decorated with colored flags going down the Niémen river, sleds in the snowy streets of Kovno, and the country home in the greenery of Kaletova. His father was fearful of violent riots occurring against Jewish communities at the time in Eastern Europe, so in 1931, they moved again, with five-year-old Theo, traveling through Germany and Berlin, this time hoping his father would find work in Paris. Adjusting to the new culture was difficult, but Paris would forever retain an aura of nostalgia for Theo, a feeling also visible in his paintings. 

In the summer of 1940, when Theo was 13, Nazi forces took over Paris, but he was able to continue his education mostly undisturbed for around two years. As a Jew he could no longer attend public schools, so he studied art at a private school. He went to Montmartre daily to sketch, a picturesque area where artists famously gathered. In July of 1942, however, that ended when the Germans began rounding up Jews and forcing them into concentration camps. With the help of a Christian concierge in their building in the 18th arrondissement, the Tobiasse family went into hiding in a small, unoccupied apartment. The Nazis did come and search for them, but came to the conclusion that the Tobiasses had fled. They lived for 25 months, from July of 1942 to August of 1944, in a tiny living space, without what most would consider the basics – making noise, stepping outside, turning on lights, or burning candles. They were nearly discovered more than once. Though the space was at most dimly lit by the light that filtered through the closed shutters, Theo spent his time drawing, reading, and playing chess with his father, which is where the chessboard imagery in his work comes from. They survived thanks to the help of their Christian neighbor and Jewish members of the French Resistance, whom they relied upon to bring them food and other necessities. The Resistance also provided them with a way to make some money; they brought them materials to produce rabbit fur slippers to sell. Theo would trace the slipper shape for his father to cut and his mother to sew into slippers. On August 25, 1944, Paris was liberated, and 17-year-old Theo stepped outside for the first time in two years. 

He had amassed a large portfolio of drawings created in hiding, which made it possible for him to find employment with advertising companies. He would work for the next 15 years as a very successful commercial advertising artist, for companies including Hermes, utilizing his ability to draw realistically. He stayed in Paris until 1950, when he moved to Nice. Tobiasse was extremely mindful of needing to support himself financially, and saw commercial art as his only practical career choice, not believing he could support himself as a fine artist.

 He spoke of the shift in the book, Tobiasse: Artist in Exile, to author Chaim Potok: “I never dreamed of art. One day it just happened. I cannot explain it. I had in my studio three unpainted white canvases. Maybe ten years I had them. One day I decided to paint. I don’t know why.” One of them was noticed at an exhibition of young artists at the Palais de la Mediterranee in Nice in 1960, and he won first prize, and then won the Dorothy Gould Prize in 1961. From then on collectors and art galleries continued to buy his work and by 1962, he was able to devote himself to painting full-time. He believed he could communicate his feelings more directly through the use of color and abstracted images, and moved away from the more realistic representation of his commercial career. The transition changed his life. He referred to the time before making art as his “first life,” and claimed that once he started making art he was “really free.” For the next 50 years, Tobiasse enjoyed ever-increasing recognition and popularity across the world, with solo shows in places including New York, Paris, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, and Caracas. 

In 1976, he moved to St. Paul de Vence, where he would live and work for the rest of his life, although he began traveling to the United States extensively around 1980, particularly New York. He found a place in Manhattan where he could work for several months every year and worked more closely there with his friends and other artists. He no longer felt as comfortable in Europe due to tension between Russia and other countries at the time, and would say, “I’m sure I couldn’t live through a second occupation.” Among the work he created in New York, one piece contained the written phrase, “My soul is a boat looking for its promised land.” 

In 1989, he was asked to decorate the Saint Saveur Chapel in Le Cannet, France, around the theme, “Celebration of Life”. He designed colorful stained-glass windows, sculptures, magnificent frescoes on the interior walls weaving together biblical themes with messages of peace, love, and harmony, and a mosaic of marble, natural stone and glass above the chapel’s exterior entrance. Tobiasse continued to create and explore his past and present until he passed on at age 85 on November 3, 2012 in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France. 

Several monographs have been published on Theo Tobiasse’s work. The artist produced paintings, pastels, drawings, prints, etchings, pottery, sculpture, and stained glass. Many exhibitions and solo shows have been held throughout the world, and his work is found many international galleries and museums including the Biblioteque Nationale and Grand Palaise in Paris, Musee de l’Athenee in Geneva, Hôtel de Ville in Nancy, Galerie Chave in St. Paul, Waddington Galleries in London, Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, International Art Fair in Basel, and Salon d’Art Francais in Tokyo, Petit-Palais in Geneval, among others. He created illustrated works for lovers of fine books, plus etchings and engravings, making his own plates and closely supervising all aspects of the printing process. Some of his sketchbooks have also been published. He enjoyed ceramics as well, producing pottery and dishes, as well as a series of small bronze sculptures. He also created monumental works such as the fountain entitled “L’Enfant Fou” for the Arenas Business Centre at Nice Airport, and stained-glass windows for various institutions in Strasbourg and Nice. With his decoration of the chapel St-Sauveur in Le Cannet, Tobiasse joined other illustrious twentieth century artists who also decorated chapels in the South of France like Picasso in Valauris, Matisse in Vence, and Jean Cocteau in Villefranche-su-Mer.

“Bodies are playhouses for people’s inner lives”

• Théo Tobiasse

Celebrated artist Théo Tobiasse was a postwar contemporary master of the Paris School. With rich colors and loose brushstrokes, his works depict symbolic iconography and people, evoking a Judeo-Christian mysticism in a similar vein to Chagall, yet undeniably unique and distinctly his own. Influenced by Surrealism, Expressionism, and modern Primitivism, the artist quickly became the most popular of the up-and-coming Jewish painters after WWII when he began painting in 1960. He connected folk stories and Biblical stories to Jewish contemporary life. As he said, “For me, it is the same when people exit from Russia to America or from Egypt to Canaan.” Elements of his own past, his dreams, mythology, Judaic, and biblical legends, and themes of exile mingle in his images of revered folklore, erotic fantasies of Woman as a lover, or of Woman as mother, and of cities, like Paris, Venice, New York, and Jerusalem. Exile was a pivotal force in his own life as his family had been forced into hiding during the war while he was a teenager. The experience was deeply impactful, shaping the rest of his artistic future. As a defining part of his past, and linked to his faith, exile became a growing theme in his work, visible in the imagery, for example, a candelabra representing the glow of hope, in titles, and in words used visually. As author Chaim Potok observed in his book, Theo Tobiasse: Artist in Exile, “One cannot escape the feeling that he uses colors and words to conquer the evils he has experienced in the flesh, hence, the lively primitivism… and the stately themes of the tribe.” 

His style is a fusion of techniques that compound into a full-bodied, poetic magma that exalts the senses. An earthy and rainbowed palette glimmers through sensual textures, authentic and imaginative drawing, and often meaningful concepts. Words were magic to him and he included them in his images - to prolong the experience, as opposed to explain it. Some of his works contain words that he wrote, then painted over, or some a Hebrew symbol he pasted on and then covered with paint or ink. If one holds the work to the light, they might see hints of the message. A richness pervades his work, as well as dreamlike and emotional qualities.
 
The artist’s parents were Lithuanian and moved from there to Palestine, at the time, now Israel, hoping to find the Promised Land, which is where Théo was born in 1927, just after they arrived. They struggled and unable to make things work, moved back to Lithuania while Theo was still very little. Subjects and symbols in his later artwork would refer to this time, like the round teapots and paunchy samovars, the lights of steamers decorated with colored flags going down the Niémen river, sleds in the snowy streets of Kovno, and the country home in the greenery of Kaletova. His father was fearful of violent riots occurring against Jewish communities at the time in Eastern Europe, so in 1931, they moved again, with five-year-old Theo, traveling through Germany and Berlin, this time hoping his father would find work in Paris. Adjusting to the new culture was difficult, but Paris would forever retain an aura of nostalgia for Theo, a feeling also visible in his paintings. 

In the summer of 1940, when Theo was 13, Nazi forces took over Paris, but he was able to continue his education mostly undisturbed for around two years. As a Jew he could no longer attend public schools, so he studied art at a private school. He went to Montmartre daily to sketch, a picturesque area where artists famously gathered. In July of 1942, however, that ended when the Germans began rounding up Jews and forcing them into concentration camps. With the help of a Christian concierge in their building in the 18th arrondissement, the Tobiasse family went into hiding in a small, unoccupied apartment. The Nazis did come and search for them, but came to the conclusion that the Tobiasses had fled. They lived for 25 months, from July of 1942 to August of 1944, in a tiny living space, without what most would consider the basics – making noise, stepping outside, turning on lights, or burning candles. They were nearly discovered more than once. Though the space was at most dimly lit by the light that filtered through the closed shutters, Theo spent his time drawing, reading, and playing chess with his father, which is where the chessboard imagery in his work comes from. They survived thanks to the help of their Christian neighbor and Jewish members of the French Resistance, whom they relied upon to bring them food and other necessities. The Resistance also provided them with a way to make some money; they brought them materials to produce rabbit fur slippers to sell. Theo would trace the slipper shape for his father to cut and his mother to sew into slippers. On August 25, 1944, Paris was liberated, and 17-year-old Theo stepped outside for the first time in two years. 

He had amassed a large portfolio of drawings created in hiding, which made it possible for him to find employment with advertising companies. He would work for the next 15 years as a very successful commercial advertising artist, for companies including Hermes, utilizing his ability to draw realistically. He stayed in Paris until 1950, when he moved to Nice. Tobiasse was extremely mindful of needing to support himself financially, and saw commercial art as his only practical career choice, not believing he could support himself as a fine artist.

 He spoke of the shift in the book, Tobiasse: Artist in Exile, to author Chaim Potok: “I never dreamed of art. One day it just happened. I cannot explain it. I had in my studio three unpainted white canvases. Maybe ten years I had them. One day I decided to paint. I don’t know why.” One of them was noticed at an exhibition of young artists at the Palais de la Mediterranee in Nice in 1960, and he won first prize, and then won the Dorothy Gould Prize in 1961. From then on collectors and art galleries continued to buy his work and by 1962, he was able to devote himself to painting full-time. He believed he could communicate his feelings more directly through the use of color and abstracted images, and moved away from the more realistic representation of his commercial career. The transition changed his life. He referred to the time before making art as his “first life,” and claimed that once he started making art he was “really free.” For the next 50 years, Tobiasse enjoyed ever-increasing recognition and popularity across the world, with solo shows in places including New York, Paris, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, and Caracas. 

In 1976, he moved to St. Paul de Vence, where he would live and work for the rest of his life, although he began traveling to the United States extensively around 1980, particularly New York. He found a place in Manhattan where he could work for several months every year and worked more closely there with his friends and other artists. He no longer felt as comfortable in Europe due to tension between Russia and other countries at the time, and would say, “I’m sure I couldn’t live through a second occupation.” Among the work he created in New York, one piece contained the written phrase, “My soul is a boat looking for its promised land.” 

In 1989, he was asked to decorate the Saint Saveur Chapel in Le Cannet, France, around the theme, “Celebration of Life”. He designed colorful stained-glass windows, sculptures, magnificent frescoes on the interior walls weaving together biblical themes with messages of peace, love, and harmony, and a mosaic of marble, natural stone and glass above the chapel’s exterior entrance. Tobiasse continued to create and explore his past and present until he passed on at age 85 on November 3, 2012 in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France. 

Several monographs have been published on Theo Tobiasse’s work. The artist produced paintings, pastels, drawings, prints, etchings, pottery, sculpture, and stained glass. Many exhibitions and solo shows have been held throughout the world, and his work is found many international galleries and museums including the Biblioteque Nationale and Grand Palaise in Paris, Musee de l’Athenee in Geneva, Hôtel de Ville in Nancy, Galerie Chave in St. Paul, Waddington Galleries in London, Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, International Art Fair in Basel, and Salon d’Art Francais in Tokyo, Petit-Palais in Geneval, among others. He created illustrated works for lovers of fine books, plus etchings and engravings, making his own plates and closely supervising all aspects of the printing process. Some of his sketchbooks have also been published. He enjoyed ceramics as well, producing pottery and dishes, as well as a series of small bronze sculptures. He also created monumental works such as the fountain entitled “L’Enfant Fou” for the Arenas Business Centre at Nice Airport, and stained-glass windows for various institutions in Strasbourg and Nice. With his decoration of the chapel St-Sauveur in Le Cannet, Tobiasse joined other illustrious twentieth century artists who also decorated chapels in the South of France like Picasso in Valauris, Matisse in Vence, and Jean Cocteau in Villefranche-su-Mer.

“Bodies are playhouses for people’s inner lives”

• Théo Tobiasse

Celebrated artist Théo Tobiasse was a postwar contemporary master of the Paris School. With rich colors and loose brushstrokes, his works depict symbolic iconography and people, evoking a Judeo-Christian mysticism in a similar vein to Chagall, yet undeniably unique and distinctly his own. Influenced by Surrealism, Expressionism, and modern Primitivism, the artist quickly became the most popular of the up-and-coming Jewish painters after WWII when he began painting in 1960. He connected folk stories and Biblical stories to Jewish contemporary life. As he said, “For me, it is the same when people exit from Russia to America or from Egypt to Canaan.” Elements of his own past, his dreams, mythology, Judaic, and biblical legends, and themes of exile mingle in his images of revered folklore, erotic fantasies of Woman as a lover, or of Woman as mother, and of cities, like Paris, Venice, New York, and Jerusalem. Exile was a pivotal force in his own life as his family had been forced into hiding during the war while he was a teenager. The experience was deeply impactful, shaping the rest of his artistic future. As a defining part of his past, and linked to his faith, exile became a growing theme in his work, visible in the imagery, for example, a candelabra representing the glow of hope, in titles, and in words used visually. As author Chaim Potok observed in his book, Theo Tobiasse: Artist in Exile, “One cannot escape the feeling that he uses colors and words to conquer the evils he has experienced in the flesh, hence, the lively primitivism… and the stately themes of the tribe.” 

His style is a fusion of techniques that compound into a full-bodied, poetic magma that exalts the senses. An earthy and rainbowed palette glimmers through sensual textures, authentic and imaginative drawing, and often meaningful concepts. Words were magic to him and he included them in his images - to prolong the experience, as opposed to explain it. Some of his works contain words that he wrote, then painted over, or some a Hebrew symbol he pasted on and then covered with paint or ink. If one holds the work to the light, they might see hints of the message. A richness pervades his work, as well as dreamlike and emotional qualities.
 
The artist’s parents were Lithuanian and moved from there to Palestine, at the time, now Israel, hoping to find the Promised Land, which is where Théo was born in 1927, just after they arrived. They struggled and unable to make things work, moved back to Lithuania while Theo was still very little. Subjects and symbols in his later artwork would refer to this time, like the round teapots and paunchy samovars, the lights of steamers decorated with colored flags going down the Niémen river, sleds in the snowy streets of Kovno, and the country home in the greenery of Kaletova. His father was fearful of violent riots occurring against Jewish communities at the time in Eastern Europe, so in 1931, they moved again, with five-year-old Theo, traveling through Germany and Berlin, this time hoping his father would find work in Paris. Adjusting to the new culture was difficult, but Paris would forever retain an aura of nostalgia for Theo, a feeling also visible in his paintings. 

In the summer of 1940, when Theo was 13, Nazi forces took over Paris, but he was able to continue his education mostly undisturbed for around two years. As a Jew he could no longer attend public schools, so he studied art at a private school. He went to Montmartre daily to sketch, a picturesque area where artists famously gathered. In July of 1942, however, that ended when the Germans began rounding up Jews and forcing them into concentration camps. With the help of a Christian concierge in their building in the 18th arrondissement, the Tobiasse family went into hiding in a small, unoccupied apartment. The Nazis did come and search for them, but came to the conclusion that the Tobiasses had fled. They lived for 25 months, from July of 1942 to August of 1944, in a tiny living space, without what most would consider the basics – making noise, stepping outside, turning on lights, or burning candles. They were nearly discovered more than once. Though the space was at most dimly lit by the light that filtered through the closed shutters, Theo spent his time drawing, reading, and playing chess with his father, which is where the chessboard imagery in his work comes from. They survived thanks to the help of their Christian neighbor and Jewish members of the French Resistance, whom they relied upon to bring them food and other necessities. The Resistance also provided them with a way to make some money; they brought them materials to produce rabbit fur slippers to sell. Theo would trace the slipper shape for his father to cut and his mother to sew into slippers. On August 25, 1944, Paris was liberated, and 17-year-old Theo stepped outside for the first time in two years. 

He had amassed a large portfolio of drawings created in hiding, which made it possible for him to find employment with advertising companies. He would work for the next 15 years as a very successful commercial advertising artist, for companies including Hermes, utilizing his ability to draw realistically. He stayed in Paris until 1950, when he moved to Nice. Tobiasse was extremely mindful of needing to support himself financially, and saw commercial art as his only practical career choice, not believing he could support himself as a fine artist.

 He spoke of the shift in the book, Tobiasse: Artist in Exile, to author Chaim Potok: “I never dreamed of art. One day it just happened. I cannot explain it. I had in my studio three unpainted white canvases. Maybe ten years I had them. One day I decided to paint. I don’t know why.” One of them was noticed at an exhibition of young artists at the Palais de la Mediterranee in Nice in 1960, and he won first prize, and then won the Dorothy Gould Prize in 1961. From then on collectors and art galleries continued to buy his work and by 1962, he was able to devote himself to painting full-time. He believed he could communicate his feelings more directly through the use of color and abstracted images, and moved away from the more realistic representation of his commercial career. The transition changed his life. He referred to the time before making art as his “first life,” and claimed that once he started making art he was “really free.” For the next 50 years, Tobiasse enjoyed ever-increasing recognition and popularity across the world, with solo shows in places including New York, Paris, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, and Caracas. 

In 1976, he moved to St. Paul de Vence, where he would live and work for the rest of his life, although he began traveling to the United States extensively around 1980, particularly New York. He found a place in Manhattan where he could work for several months every year and worked more closely there with his friends and other artists. He no longer felt as comfortable in Europe due to tension between Russia and other countries at the time, and would say, “I’m sure I couldn’t live through a second occupation.” Among the work he created in New York, one piece contained the written phrase, “My soul is a boat looking for its promised land.” 

In 1989, he was asked to decorate the Saint Saveur Chapel in Le Cannet, France, around the theme, “Celebration of Life”. He designed colorful stained-glass windows, sculptures, magnificent frescoes on the interior walls weaving together biblical themes with messages of peace, love, and harmony, and a mosaic of marble, natural stone and glass above the chapel’s exterior entrance. Tobiasse continued to create and explore his past and present until he passed on at age 85 on November 3, 2012 in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France. 

Several monographs have been published on Theo Tobiasse’s work. The artist produced paintings, pastels, drawings, prints, etchings, pottery, sculpture, and stained glass. Many exhibitions and solo shows have been held throughout the world, and his work is found many international galleries and museums including the Biblioteque Nationale and Grand Palaise in Paris, Musee de l’Athenee in Geneva, Hôtel de Ville in Nancy, Galerie Chave in St. Paul, Waddington Galleries in London, Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, International Art Fair in Basel, and Salon d’Art Francais in Tokyo, Petit-Palais in Geneval, among others. He created illustrated works for lovers of fine books, plus etchings and engravings, making his own plates and closely supervising all aspects of the printing process. Some of his sketchbooks have also been published. He enjoyed ceramics as well, producing pottery and dishes, as well as a series of small bronze sculptures. He also created monumental works such as the fountain entitled “L’Enfant Fou” for the Arenas Business Centre at Nice Airport, and stained-glass windows for various institutions in Strasbourg and Nice. With his decoration of the chapel St-Sauveur in Le Cannet, Tobiasse joined other illustrious twentieth century artists who also decorated chapels in the South of France like Picasso in Valauris, Matisse in Vence, and Jean Cocteau in Villefranche-su-Mer.