Jacques Lipchitz

the long version

"Jacques Lipchitz (1891-1973) is recognized as the most significant Cubist sculptor of the twentieth century. While other contemporaries such as Raymond Duchamp-Villon, Joszef Csaky and Henri Laurens for a time explored ideas related to Cubism, it was Lipchitz who embraced the movement's language and consistently translated its ideologies into sculptural forms." "A Jewish immigrant, Lipchitz arrived in Paris in 1909. There he battled against rampant prejudice and the volatile art world to establish himself as one of the capital's most succesful and prominent avant garde artists. His relationship with Picasso was a ferment of mutual admiration, curiosity and influence - many of Lipchitz's motifs derived from Picasso's canvases, while Picasso respected Lipchitz's views on his own sculpture." "The threat of Hitler's troops prompted Lipchitz to move to America in 1941, where he stayed until his death in 1973. Taking nothing but one or two maquettes, Lipchitz successfully rebuilt his career and became recognized as the grand old man of Cubism and a pioneer in a new cross-cultural view of art. He was also considered a master at setting up a dialogue between outdoor monumental sculpture and its surrounding environment or architecture."--Jacket.