With a certificate of authenticity signed by Jean Kisling
Provenance：Christie\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Auction, London, November 30th, 1993 Lot 193
Illustrated："Kisling 1891-1953. vol. III," Jean Kisling, Paris, France, 1995, Page 143, illustrated No.18
Exhibition：
Exposition：
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 Krakow Academy of Fine Arts, Kisling found inspiration and guidance in Jozef Pankiewicz, his mentor who had been influenced by Impressionism in Paris and considered the city the ultimate artistic haven. Encouraged by Pankiewicz, Kisling set his sights on Paris, the epicenter of the art world, where the early 20th century witnessed the flourishing of various modern art movements, from Fauvism to Cubism.
Around 1910, Montparnasse emerged as the epicenter of artistic activity in Paris. Kisling, along with a group of artists driven by their profound passion for art, settled in Paris from diverse corners of the world. They shared living spaces in the attic lofts and cottages on the Left Bank of the Seine, hailing 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 "Paris School." Prominent figures in this movement included Pablo Picasso from Spain, Moïse Kisling from Poland, Marc Chagall from Russia, Chaim Sutin from Belarus, Tsuguharu Foujita from Japan, and Amedeo Modigliani from Italy, among others.
Kisling's artistic journey initially bore the influence of Paul Cézanne, André Derain, and the Cubist movement, placing 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-life. However, a transformative shift occurred post-1915, leading Kisling toward Expressionism. By the early 1920s, his painting style reached maturity, combining precise draftsmanship with vibrant colors. His signature style often showcased subjects in a lucid, unembellished manner, highlighting the elegance of smooth, rounded forms and a vivid color palette.
Moïse Kisling, along with his friend Amedeo Modigliani, primarily depicted figures in their works. Their subjects, often portrayed expressionless, ranged from friends and wives to actresses, models, boys, and girls. Kisling's figures exhibited distinctive round faces, almond-shaped eyes, and dainty cherry-like mouths—a style possibly influenced by the European tradition of crafting dolls. While some of his works depicted figures with their pupils removed and eyes entirely blackened, an approach likely influenced by Amedeo Modigliani. Kisling's method of handling shadows set him apart, utilizing strong contrasts and intricate light and shadow details. This distinctive technique breathed life into the figures, enhancing their three-dimensional presence.
In Kisling's masterpiece The Boy in Black, the removal of pupils and their replacement with obsidian-black eyes intensified the enigmatic quality of the boy's gaze, evoking an aura of profound contemplation. Closer inspection revealed a meticulous rendering of shadow gradients around the boy's eye sockets, nose bridge, and facial contours, complemented by the hallmark cherry-like mouth. These delicate nuances, brought to life through masterful interplay between light and shadow, endowed the boy's features with heightened elegance and intricacy. The color palette for the attire predominantly consisted of rich, dark hues, meticulously textured through the stroke of his brush. Kisling's adept manipulation of light and shadow breathed dimension into the figures, creating a palpable sense of space between subject and surroundings. Set against a tranquil backdrop, this composition seamlessly wove together reality and illusion, resulting in a harmonious amalgamation of both realms.
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