Moïse Kisling Polish - French, 1891-1953
28 7/10 × 20 1/10 in
Moïse Kisling, born in Krakow, Poland, settled in Paris at the beginning of the 20th century, encouraged by his mentor Jozef Pankiewicz, to join the vibrant artistic scene of Montparnasse. He became one of the leading figures of the School of Paris, this cosmopolitan group of artists from around the world—alongside Picasso, Chagall, Soutine, Foujita, and Modigliani, his close friend.
Initially influenced by Cézanne, Derain, and Cubism, he favored simplified forms and a restrained palette to depict figures, landscapes, and still lifes. After 1915, his style evolved toward Expressionism and reached its full maturity in the early 1920s, combining precise drawing with vivid colors. He is distinguished by his portraits with round faces, almond-shaped eyes, and delicate mouths, which reveal an elegance of smooth, rounded forms.
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Moïse KislingJeune enfant au chapeau bleu, 1928Oil on canvas73 × 51 cm
28 7/10 × 20 1/10 inSigned on the upper right corner
Moïse Kisling, born into a Jewish family in Krakow, Poland, defied his father's hopes for a future as an engineer, instead nurturing his ambition to become an artist. While studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, Kisling found inspiration and guidance from Jozef Pankiewicz, his mentor who had been influenced by Impressionism in Paris and considered the city the ultimate artistic paradise. Encouraged by Pankiewicz, Kisling set his sights on Paris, the epicenter of the art world, where the early 20th century saw the blossoming of various modern art movements, from Fauvism to Cubism. Around 1910, Montparnasse emerged as the hub of artistic activity in Paris.
Kisling, accompanied by a group of artists driven by their deep passion for art, settled in Paris from various corners of the world. They shared living spaces in attic lofts and cottages on the Left Bank of the Seine, coming from diverse cultural backgrounds and speaking different languages. Through this convergence, they gradually established a flexible, diverse, liberated, and creative microcosm. The multitude of artistic styles they represented defied easy classification, leading art historians to collectively refer to them as the "School of Paris." Among the prominent figures of this movement were, among others, Pablo Picasso from Spain, Moïse Kisling from Poland, Marc Chagall from Russia, Chaïm Soutine from Belarus, Tsuguharu Foujita from Japan, and especially Amedeo Modigliani from Italy.
Kisling's artistic journey initially bore the influence of Paul Cézanne, André Derain, and the Cubist movement, with a profound emphasis on the structural aspects of imagery. He employed simplified forms, a subdued color palette, and dedicated himself to the depiction of figures, landscapes, and still lifes. However, a transformative change occurred after 1915, leading Kisling towards Expressionism. By the early 1920s, his painting style reached its maturity, combining precise drawing with vibrant colors. His distinctive style often presented subjects in a clear and unembellished manner, highlighting the elegance of smooth, rounded forms and a vivid color palette. Moïse Kisling and his friend Amedeo Modigliani primarily depicted figures in their works. Their subjects, often portrayed without expression, ranged from friends and spouses to actresses, models, boys, and girls. Kisling's characters featured distinctive round faces, almond-shaped eyes, and delicate cherry-like mouths, a style perhaps influenced by the European tradition of doll-making.
