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Modigliani Institute Korea (MIK) is
currently introducing artworks of Amedeo Modigliani.
The 91st work to introduce for this
week is “Pierre Edouard Baranowski” in 1918.
This work is an expressionist style
portrait and an oil painting on canvas with the size of 111 x 56 cm and possessed
in private collection.
The painter Pierre Edouard
Baranowski, known as “Bara”, was a member of the Polish colony of Paris.
A
habitue of the Montparnasse cafes in the 1920s, he seems to have met Modigliani
either through his friend and dealer Leopold Zborowski, or through his friend
Moise Kisling.
Portrait of Leopold Zborowski (1917)
Portrait of Moise Kisling (1916)
This painting is the only known portrait of Baranowski, who
painted flowers, still lifes and landscapes and exhibited at the Salon
d'Automne, the Salon des Tuileries and the Salon des Independants between 1920
and 1929.
In this painting, he occupies the entire space of the painting with
his androgynous grace. His pose also has Mannerist style, with the bent face,
the barely noticeable smile, and a left hand that seems to hang loosely.
The
black color of the jacket and tie, the light blue color of the eyes and the
background, the dark blue color of the trousers and the paleness of the model's
skin are emphasized by the white color of his shirt, and the slanted model's
head seems to avoid the symmetry of the painting.
Modigliani said, "To do any
work, I must have a living person, I must see him in front of me."
Baranowski was one of the artists
and intellectuals who flocked to Paris from Central Europe, whose talents were
not recognized and dreams could not be realized, but he seems to have been the
kind of model Modigliani liked.
Modigliani Institute Korea (MIK) is currently introducing artworks of Amedeo Modigliani one by one every week.
The 66th work to introduce for this week is “Portrait of Wielhorski” in 1916.
This work is an expressionist style portrait and an oil painting on a canvas with the size of 114 x 72 cm, and is held in Private collection.
The model of this work is Wielhorski, a Polish painter, who appears to be a wealthy and educated figure in the model's attire and posture.
In addition, while the model's attire and posture make viewers feel calm and secure, the colors used give a very strong feeling. Therefore, if looking at the attire and posture alone, the model seems to have a cool and discreet personality, but if looking at the colors used, the model might be a figure who is passionate and somewhat impulsive. Modigliani might have attempted to express the character of the model by using such strong colors instead of appearance.
Also unique thing in this work is the model's beard, feeling like a shawl worn by noble ladies around the neck. The reason that Modigliani painted the model's beard like this might be to suggest that the model is from a good and wealthy family.
Another unique thing is the eyebrows, eyes, nose and ears of the model. While the one side of the model's eyebrows is drawn so blurry enough to say that there is no eyebrow, the other side of the eyebrows is relatively clear. One eye is drawn almost closed while the other one is depicted as an eye without pupil. In the case of the nose, one side can be seen more clearly, and for the ear, one side has unclear outline, while the other side is clearly outlined.
In addition, the chair on which the model is sitting is almost indistinguishable from the background, making it feel as if the model is sitting in the air. The reason that Modigliani represented the model like this way might suggest that Modigliani's understanding for the model is insufficient yet.
Compared to other Modigliani’s works, this work is drawn in a straight composition that is not tilted in both aspects of the model and the background. The window (or frame) in the left side of the background that is slightly visible balances the entire composition with the background on the right.
This work was one of the works exhibited at the Berthe Weill Gallery in 1917, which was the first and last personal exhibition of Modigliani during his life, but forcibly closed due to the nudes exhibition.
There are three other works that Modigliani seems to depict the same figure as the model in this work, but there is a huge controversy among critics as to whether the models of the works are the same figure Wielhorski or not.
Modigliani Institute Korea (MIK) is
currently introducing artworks of Amedeo Modigliani one by one every week.
The 48th work to introduce for this
week is “Portrait of Moise Kisling” in 1915.
This work is a portrait of an
expressionist style and an oil painting on canvas with the size of 37 x 28 cm,
and currently possessed by Palazzo Brera in Milan, Italy.
Moïse Kisling was a Polish-born French
painter who was born on January 22, 1891 and died on April 29, 1953. Born in Kraków, Poland, Kisling
studied at the School of Fine Arts in Kraków, where his teachers strongly encouraged
him to go to Paris, France, where was considered the center of the world in art
at the time.
Moïse Kisling (c.1916)
In 1910, Kisling left Poland and
moved to Montmartre in Paris, and then to Montparnasse a few years later. Like many others, he was introduced
by Andre Salmon and Max Jacob to the painters from around the world, especially
Picasso, Modigliani and Pascin. In 1913, Kisling took a studio in
Montparnasse, and became close friends with many contemporary artists,
including Modigliani, who painted his portraits.
When World War I broke out, Kisling
enlisted voluntarily in French Army and was seriously wounded in the battle in
1915 and consequently discharged. Then, he received French citizenship from the
French government. Kisling again volunteered for army
during World War II in 1940. However, when the French Army was defeated by the
Germans, Kisling, who was afraid of his own safety in the occupied France
because he was a Jew, moved to the United States. He had exhibitions in New
York City and Washington in the United States, settled in California, and lived
there until 1946.
La Sieste à Saint-Tropez (Kisling with Renée), Moïse Kisling (1916)
After the war, Kisling, who
returned to France, died on April 29, 1953, in Sanary-sur-Mer, Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte
d'Azur in France.
By the age of 19, Kisling was
already keeping his family with income from his painting. Kisling, one of
Modigliani's best friends, and his wife, Renée, often became models of
Modigliani and continued to help him, especially from 1916. He shared his
studio on rue Joseph-Bara with Modigliani, paid for his meals, and provided him
with painting materials. Modigliani painted the portrait of Jean Cocteau and
the double portrait of Lipchitz and his wife in the studio.
Portrait of Jean Cocteau, Amedeo Modigliani (1916)
Jacques and Berthe Lipchitz, Amedeo Modigliani (1916)
Shortly after Modigliani's death at
the Charity Hospital in Paris, Kisling made a death mask for Modigliani, and Lipchitzcast 12 of them in bronze for Modigliani's closest friends. Kisling summed up his philosophy as
"We work, we eat, we drink, we work, we make very good food, and we get
married. That's all.”
Death Mask of Amedeo Modigliani
In 1915, Modigliani produced a
series of small portraits reflecting the warm friendship with models who had
good relationships with him.
Looking at the portrait of Kisling
introduced today, his appearance looks like a schoolboy. Also, unlike Modigliani's
style, simply treating the background and other parts of the model except the
face to focus the viewers' attention on the model's face, this work seems to
emphasize the outside of the model's face due to the white collar and red tie. The model's calm and pensive expression,
and large almond-shaped eyes give the viewers an intense impression.
The features of this work are that,
unlike other works of Modigliani, this work has the model's square face which almost
entirely filled the canvas and he did not paint the model with the elongated
face that usually appears in his portraits. Modigliani also simplified almost
all of the lines in the work to create a caricatural feel, but the simplicity
of the lines gives a more emphasis on the model's gaze.
Modigliani seems to show off his
firm friendship with Kisling by drawing this work in a direct and
uncompromising way. Also, from Modigliani's painting
style, drawing eyes with no pupils or blurring eyes when the model's character,
personality, or sincerity are uncertain, he drew the model's eyes and pupils
accurately and clearly in this work. It seems to emphasize the belief and
confidence about Kisling and the faithful and firm friendship of the two.
Frédéric Chopin was a Polishcomposer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic era, who was born on 1 March 1810
and died on 17 October 1849, and wrote mainly for solo piano.
Chopin, who had a
genius musical talent, was one of the leading musicians of his era and his
genius was based on professional techniques that were distinctly different from
his contemporary musicians.
Chopin was born in Żelazowa
Wola, Poland, and grew up in Warsaw. Chopin, a music prodigy, had musical
education in Warsaw and composed his earlier works before leaving Poland at the
age of 20, less than a month before the outbreak of the November 1830 Uprising.
Chopin's birthplace, Żelazowa Wola
Chopin, who settled in Paris at the age of 21, had only 30 public concerts in
the last 18 years of his life. Chopin made a friendship with Franz Liszt and
was respected by many contemporary musicians, including Robert Schumann.
Franz Liszt
Robert Schumann
In 1837, Chopin, who failed
engagement to Maria Wodzińska, had a
relationship with French writer Amantine Dupin, whose pen name is George Sand. The visit to Majorca with Sand from 1838 to 1839 was one of the most productive
periods of composition in Chopin's life. Chopin, who was in poor health for
most of his life, died in Paris in 1849 at the age of 39.
Maria Wodzińska
George Sand
All of Chopin's works include the
piano. Although there are two piano concertos, some chamber works and 19 songs
written in Polish lyrics, most of Chopin's works are for solo piano. His piano
works require very difficult techniques, and his performances are famous for
their emotional atmosphere.
Chopin's grave, Père-Lachaise cemetery, Paris
Chopin's major piano works include mazurkas,
waltzes, nocturnes, polonaises, études, impromptus, scherzos, preludes and
sonatas, and some of them were published posthumously. The elements that
influenced his style of works were Polish folk music, music of J. S. Bach,
Mozart, and Schubert and the atmosphere of the Paris salons he frequented.
Chopin's death mask, Clésinger
Chopin's music had a great influence throughout and after the late Romantic
period.
