Moïse Kisling - authentic original oil painting - c1930 - Modigliani interest

This is an important oil painting by Moïse Kisling (1891-1953), a famous French artist and close friend of Amedeo Modigliani. Kisling lived with Modigliani in Paris and in 1916 Modigliani painted a portrait of him (in the collection of the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris). Kisling was a master at depicting the female body, this work being typical of his impressionist style. Below you will find a biography of Moïse Kisling and further photos of the painting.

The subject of the painting is almost certainly Kiki de Monparnasse - the well known model and artist. Another painting of Kiki de Monparnasse by Kisling sold for £109,071 at Christies, Paris in 2013. This obviously make our asking price an excellent investment.

The painting has been professionally relined, stretched and retouched. The signature is the same date as the picture (tested with a UV light), which dates to around 1930. The painting is in good condition for its age, with the minor ageing and craquelure you would expect.

This fine painting comes from the private collection of Stephen Baring. The collection comprises two inherited collections plus twenty five years of personal collecting. The painting was bought in Bulgaria from the owner, whose grandparents were German jews and had left Germany before WW2 with this and other paintings. It was bought rolled up and I have since framed it.

BIOGRAPHY
Moïse Kisling, born Mojżesz Kisling (1891-1953) was a Polish-born French painter. He moved to Paris in 1910 and became a French citizen in 1915, after serving and being wounded with the French Foreign Legion in World War I. He emigrated to the United States in 1940 after the fall of France, and returned in 1946.

Born in Kraków, Austria-Hungary, he studied at the School of Fine Arts in Kraków. His teachers encouraged the young man to go to Paris, France, considered the international center for artistic creativity in the early 20th century.

In 1910, Kisling moved to Montmartre in Paris, and a few years later to Montparnasse; he joined an émigré community made up of artists from eastern Europe as well as Americans and British. Most of the French kept to themselves, although the artistic community was international.

At the outbreak of World War I, Kisling volunteered for service in the French Foreign Legion. After being seriously wounded in 1915 in the Battle of the Somme, he was awarded French citizenship.

Kisling lived and worked in Montparnasse, where he was part of its renowned artistic community. For a short time he lived in the Bateau-Lavoir in Montmartre, and in 1911-12 spent nearly a year at Céret.

In 1913 he returned to Montparnasse, where he took a studio and lived for the next 27 years. The artists Jules Pascin and later Amedeo Modigliani lived in the same building. He became close friends with many of his contemporaries, including Modigliani, who painted a portrait of him in 1916 (in the collection of the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris). His style in painting landscapes is similar to that of Marc Chagall. A master at depicting the female body, his surreal nudes and portraits earned him the widest acclaim.

Kisling volunteered for army service again in 1940 during World War II, although he was 49. When the French Army was discharged at the time of the surrender to the Germans, Kisling emigrated to the United States. He rightly feared for his safety as a Jew in occupied France. He exhibited in New York and Washington. He settled in California, where he lived until 1946.

Under the Vichy government, certain critics suggested too many foreigners, especially Jews, were diminishing French traditions. Their comments were part of a rise in anti-Semitism during the German occupation, resulting in French cooperation in the deportation and deaths of tens of thousands of foreign and French Jews in concentration camps.

Kisling returned to France after the war and defeat of Germany. Moise Kisling died in Sanary-sur-Mer, Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France on April 29, 1953. A residential street in the town is named after him.

A valuable oil painting that will be much admired in your home or office. Will provide an excellent financial investment as well as a possession to enjoy. You are welcome to return for a full refund if you are not entirely happy. Also, please feel free to view at our central London showroom.