Zygmunt Menkes (1896 Lvov - 1986 Riverdale), Figures on the terrace of a cafe
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This work reveals a section of a square shaded by two large deciduous trees, with a lighthouse between them; a terrace of a cafe or restaurant with round tables is installed on the square; in one we see the silhouette of a seated woman wearing a black hat, the other table is topped with a round red umbrella, and several other figures can be seen treated in a summary manner; in the background we can see the facades of houses whose windows are closed with shutters; this is an original work by Zygmunt Jozef Menkes (1896 Lvov - 1986 New York). The work depicts Place de la Tour in the French seaside resort of Sanary-sur-Mer on the Côte d'Azur, where there is a Hôtel de la Tour with a cafe on the terrace. Menkes painted another view of this square with the hotel in the background and a fountain in honor of the easily recognizable navy in 1926, titled Self-Portrait in Front of the Hôtel de la Tour, Sanary. The work on display dates to ca. 1926. After studying in his native Lviv and then in Krakow, Menkes arrived in Paris in 1923 and two years later decided to settle there permanently. It was then that he visited France, and in particular the Côte d'Azur. The work on display is an excellent example of the painterly talent of Menkes, who at that time used a very characteristic color range, based on complementary colors: green and red, subdued shades of varying intensity, which give the work a colorful character. dynamism, which the artist reinforces with small accents of black and white, and completes with areas of beige - light ochre. The work is also enlivened by the color contrast created by the dark mass of vegetation in the upper and right parts of the painting, balanced by the point of light of the facade of the houses in the lower left part. The composition is based on rhythmic verticals (tree trunks, lanterns, vertical window divisions), which are countered by the oval shapes of the coffee table and umbrella, further enhancing the expressive character of the work.
The work will be on view on 10.12.2022 (Saturday) from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Antiquarian Gallery at 25 Emilia Plater Street, 00-688 Warsaw.
Biography
Zygmunt Menkes (1896 Lviv - 1986 Riverdale) - Polish painter of Jewish origin. He began his artistic studies in 1912 at the Industrial School in Lviv and continued from 1919 to 1922 at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. In 1922 he began his studies in Berlin in the studio of Alexander Archipenko where he met Joachim Weingart, who came from Drohobych, with whom he went to Paris in 1923, entering the circle of École de Paris. In Paris, together with Alfred Aberdam, Leon Weissberg and Joachim Weingart, they formed the "Group of Four." Their joint exhibition was held in 1925 at the gallery "Au Sacre du Printemps", run by Jan Sliwinski. He participated in many exhibitions in France and other countries. In 1935 he moved permanently to the United States. He was a lecturer at the Art Students League. He settled in the Riverdale neighborhood in the Bronx, New York. He participated in many exhibitions in the United States and was the recipient of many American awards.
