Jacques Lipchitz

Jacques Lipchitz was a Lithuanian-born French sculptor regarded as one of the foremost contributors to the Cubist style and modern sculpture.

Biography of Jacques Lipchitz

Born Chaim Jacob Lipschitz into a Jewish family in Druskininkai, a small town in Lithuania, Jacques Lipchitz's upbringing was primarily overseen by his mother, Rachel, as his father, Abraham Lipchitz, a building contractor, was frequently absent.

Despite initially pursuing engineering in line with his father's wishes, Lipchitz, encouraged by his mother, made the pivotal decision to abandon engineering at 17 and relocate to Paris in 1908. Although his choice disappointed his father, Lipchitz later noted that his father forgave him and provided support as long as he could.

Upon his arrival in Paris, Lipchitz assumed the French first name "Jacques" and enrolled at the École des Beaux-Arts and the progressive Académie Julian. He quickly connected with members of avant-garde artistic groups flourishing in Paris during that period. 

Lipchitz formed friendships with pioneering artists such as Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, Juan Gris, and Diego Rivera. Influenced by Picasso and Alexander Archipenko in particular, Lipchitz embarked on the creation of his initial Cubist sculptures in 1913.

In 1916, Lipchitz and his wife, Berthe, posed for one of Modigliani's most renowned portraits. The painting portrays the couple in their Parisian apartment, formerly the home of the sculptor Constantin Brancusi. 

In 1925, Lipchitz acquired French citizenship and established his residence on the outskirts of Paris in a house he commissioned from the radical Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier.

Throughout the 1930s, Lipchitz's artistic contributions gained international recognition, culminating in his receiving the gold medal for sculpture at the 1937 Paris Exposition.

However, with the German occupation of Paris in 1940, Lipchitz, due to his Jewish heritage, faced imminent danger and was compelled to seek refuge in the United States, where he settled in New York City. The persecution of Jewish people by the Nazis prompted the artist to actively reconnect with his religion, seeking spiritual guidance from a Rabbi in his later years. In the 1940s, Lipchitz found a form of religious catharsis through the sculptures he created during this period.

Following a post-World War II exhibition in Paris, Lipchitz's wife, Berthe, expressed her desire not to return to the USA, leading to their divorce. Lipchitz chose to remain in America, establishing his residence in Hastings-on-Hudson, a northern suburb of New York City. Shortly thereafter, he married Yulla Haberstadt, a sculptor from Berlin.

In 1958, Jacques Lipchitz experienced a major hemorrhage due to stomach cancer. Despite having survived the ordeal, the illness caused a significant setback for the artist. Nevertheless, he persisted in creating art until his passing in 1973 on the Italian island of Capri, where he maintained a villa and studio near a respected foundry. Following his death, Lipchitz's body was transported to Jerusalem for burial.

Jacques Lipchitz's Art Style

Arriving in Paris at the opportune moment amid the upheaval of the early-20th-century European avant-garde and the birth of Cubism, Jacques Lipchitz is synonymous with Cubist sculpture.

During the onset of World War II, Lipchitz underwent a significant transformation, shifting from a less abstract style to crafting larger-scale bronze sculptures. Drawing on his early classical training and skilled draftsmanship, he produced emotionally charged, large bronze pieces. Influenced by themes from Biblical tales and Greek mythology, these works adopted a more curvilinear and naturalistic style. Although showcasing sweeping lines and variations in depth, indicative of Cubist influence, the grandiose and dramatic nature of these pieces amplifies their power, seemingly reflecting the magnitude of the horrors of World War II.

Over time, his dynamic artistic journey evolved towards increased emotional expression, often incorporating Judaic themes.