Nathan GRUNSWEIGH (1880-1956)
"Still Life with Fruit," 1947
Polish-French School / École de Paris
Technique: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 46 × 65 cm (+ framed)
Signature: signed in lower left corner: Grunsweigh 1947
State of preservation: very good, painting framed in a decorative gilded frame
A colorfully bold and expressive still life showing a table with fruit, a bottle, flowers and a newspaper, it is perfectly in keeping with the style of the École de Paris, with which Nathan Grunsweigh was associated. Juxtaposing bold color contrasts with strongly contoured form, the artist creates a composition full of life, rhythm and painterly power.
The featured work comes from the late period of the artist's career, when his style was already mature and his technique was sure and recognizable. The composition betrays the influence of fauvism, but also a deeply personal approach to the subject of everyday life. It is a sensual and emotional painting, combining color expression with humanistic calm.
Nathan Grunsweigh (1880-1956) - a Krakow-born, Polish-Jewish painter associated with the École de Paris movement. After a childhood spent in Antwerp, he settled permanently in Paris, where he became part of the artistic milieu of Montparnasse.
He was friends with Chaïm Soutin and Michel Kikoïn, among others.
He created cityscapes, still lifes, portraits and genre scenes. His paintings combined vivid colors, geometric forms and clear contours, inspired by Post-Impressionism, Fauvism and Cubism.
He exhibited at the Autumn Salon, the Salon des Independents and the Galerie Pierre (1924, individually), among others. Although forgotten for years, today his work is regaining its rightful place - including exhibitions at the Museum Villa la Fleur (2020).
He died in 1956 in Paris, buried in Montparnasse Cemetery.
