L'Ecole de Paris, an exodus of Jewish artists from Eastern Europe to Paris at the beginning of the century it gave rise to a flowering of artistic activity in the city.
Highlights of the Bonhams auction include Barque sur le Rivage by Moïse Kisling (Polish/French, 1891-1953) estimated at £20.000 – 30.000; Woodcutter by Serge Férat, (1881-1958) with an estimate of £40.000-60.000 and Fantasy by the Ukrainian/French painter Anna Staritsky (1908-1981) with an estimate of £2.000-3.000.
The École de Paris pioneered the experimental approaches to style and technique that defined modernism and its key players – Jean Pougny, Moïse Kisling, Henri Epstein, Roman Kramsztyk, Pinchus Krémègne and Maurice Blond – are all represented in the upcoming sale on June 28th. These artists, visionaries of their time, are only now receiving the recognition commensurate with their influence. Moïse Kisling has produced one of the boldest pieces on offer, the captivating seascape Barque sur le rivage. Kisling left Poland for Paris in 1910, making his way to the cultural epicenter that was Montparnasse. He duly befriended and worked alongside such established artists as Picasso, Juan Gris, Max Jacob and Manolo. Fellow expatriate Henri Epstein (Polish, 1891-1944) joins Kisling as a leading sale artist. The river landscape, which has an estimate of £8.000 – 10.000, is a fresh take on a romantic pastoral scene, the impressionistic use of color and brushwork mimicking the mottling of light through the abundant foliage and reflections on the water.
The Ecole de Paris: Jacques Spreiregen, the manufacturer Kangol and the patronage of the Jewish artist community in Paris
A name often mentioned in association with The École de Paris is Jacques Spreiregen (1894-1982). Although he is best known for founding the headwear manufacturer Kangol, an official supplier to the British Army, its patronage of the Jewish artist community in Paris ensured that many generational talents could reach their potential. Their stories paralleled his as a Jewish refugee from the brutal tsarist regime in Poland. His respect for 20th-century European masters was evident in his impressive collection, where Cezanne, Monet, Bonnard and others received accolades. Although he began his practice in England, his relationship with artists in the French capital has remained strong, sourcing the works directly from the studios where they were conceived. Several of his acquisitions are featured in the sale, such as Two Village Scenes by Maurice Blond (Polish, 1899 – 1974), estimate £3.000 – 5.000 and Salle de billard by Jean Pougny (French, 1894 – 1956), estimate £5.000 – 7.000 .
This was not a field of innovation reserved for men and the diversity of L'École de Paris, which advocated the progressive and the avant-garde. Female artists took advantage of the liberal atmosphere in Paris to further their education and practice art freely. Sonia Lewitska (Polish/French, 1874-1937), for example, was one of the earliest and most active participants. The house in Montmartre that she shared with her husband, the cubist Jean Marchand (1883-1940), also served as the living room where famous bohemians such as Raoul Dufy, André Dunoyer de Segonzac, André Lhote and Henriette Tirman. The Garden of Hers painting has an estimate of £8.000 – 10.000. The main lot St Luke the Evangelist, which has an estimate of £20.000 – 30.000, is by Maria Vorobieff (Russian, 1892-1984), known as Marevna, the mistress of Diego Rivera, born in Moscow.
