Soutine und Die Moderne/ and Modernism

In comparison to the works of such contemporaries as Amedeo Modigliani and Marc Chagall, the highly individualistic paintings of Chaïm Soutine (1893–1943) are not as well known, yet their revolutionary potential influenced Francis Bacon and Willem de Kooning, among others. Born in Belorussia, Soutine received his training in Paris while such artistic movements as Cubism, Dadaism and Surrealism were creating a stir throughout Europe. Soutine, however, rejected the freedom of subject matter afforded by modernism, choosing to devote himself entirely to painting still lifes, landscapes and portraits. At the same time, he developed his own distinctive style, characterized by its intense emotion and violent brushwork. This compelling study considers Soutine’s position at the intersection of various artistic movements of the early twentieth century, and juxtaposes his powerful works with those of other masters of modern art. END