Kisling Moishe

Moise (Moise) Kisling (January 22, 1891, Krakow - April 29, 1953, Sanary-sur-Mer) - French artist of the School of Paris, a native of Poland. He studied at the School of Fine Arts in Krakow, after which, at the beginning of the 20th century, he went to the center of artistic creativity in Paris, France. In 1910, Kisling moved to Montmartre, and a few years later to Montparnasse. At the outbreak of the First World War, he volunteered for the French Foreign Legion, and in 1915 he was seriously wounded in the Battle of the Somme, for which he was awarded French citizenship. Lived and worked in Montparnasse, where he was part of the famous artistic community of the time. In 1913 he rented a studio, where he lived for the next 27 years. Jules Pascin and, later, Modigliani lived in the same building. Kisling was a close friend of many of his contemporaries, including Amedeo Modigliani, who painted his portrait in 1916 (Now in the Museum of Modern Art in Paris). His style of painting landscapes is reminiscent of Marc Chagall, but his masterful depiction of the female body, surreal nudes, and portraits brought Kisling widespread recognition. Kisling volunteered for the army again in 1940. When the French army was disbanded after the surrender to Germany, Kisling, who was of Jewish origin, went to the United States, where he exhibited in New York and California and lived until 1946. Died in Sanary-sur-Mer, France on April 29, 1953. A street in this city is named after him. The largest collection of Kisling's works is presented in the Petit Palais Museum, Geneva, Switzerland.