Monday, April 30, 2012

Z = Zadkine, Ossip - Artist - A to Z Final!

From Russia, Zadkine came to Paris . . .



Ossip Zadkine, (July 14, 1890 – November 25, 1967) was a Belarusian-born artist who came to live in France.  He's primarily known as a sculptor, but he also produced paintings and lithographs.  He left behind a legacy.


After attending art school in London, Zadkine settled in Paris about 1910.  There he became part of the new Cubist movement between 1914-1925, although his style was influenced by African Art.  In 1920, he married Valentine Prax, a painter.  There were no children.


Our first introduction to Ossip Zadkine was seeing this sculpture in the photo below.  We had come to visit Les Deux Magots in the Latin quarter, which was a neighbour to Prometheus in the square.  The statue caught our attention right away. 

'Prometheus', Ossip Zadkine, Latin Quarter, by DG Hudson



Zadkine's best known work is the sculpture The Destroyed City, 1951-1953, a man without a heart, a memorial to the destruction of the centre of Rotterdam in 1940.




The Destroyed City, Zadkine-Wikipedia, CC



Between 1955 and 1960 he produced sculptures dedicated to Vincent van Gogh. He dedicated a statue, Two Brothers van Gogh to Zundert, Vincent's birthplace.  Zadkine died in Paris in 1967 at the age of 77, after undergoing abdominal surgery.  He was interred in the Cimetiere du Montparnasse.


His former home and studio in the 6th arrondissement were converted into the Musee Zadkine.  This museum is near the historic St-Germain-des-Pres neighbourhood.  It's a free Paris museum dedicated to the sculptor Ossip Zadkine, from the "Ecole de Paris" school of art (1929-1967). We plan to visit there next time. . .


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Are you a fan of sculpture? Ever heard of Ossip Zadkine?  Do you like the works of Vincent Van Gogh?  Please let me know in the comments.  Are you glad this is the last A - Z post?


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References:


http://www.zadkine.com/life/biography  Zadkine Biography

http://www.zadkine.com/life  Photo of the Artist