OSSIP ZADKINE
Vitebsk 1888 - Paris 1967
World famous sculptor of the "Destroyed City" in Rotterdam
Vitebsk 1888 - Paris 1967
World famous sculptor of the "Destroyed City" in Rotterdam
Born in Vitebsk in 1888, Zadkine is widely celebrated as one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th-century avant-garde.
His unique artistic language masterfully blended the vital energy of primitive art with the geometric structures of Cubism, permanently redefining the expressive possibilities of three-dimensional form.
Following a brief period of study in London, Zadkine arrived in Paris in 1910, the undisputed epicentre of the international art world at that time. He quickly settled in the legendary artists' colony La Ruche ("The Beehive") in Montparnasse. There, he shared a vibrant, creatively charged poverty with a generation of young foreign artists who would later be collectively known as the École de Paris.
His unique artistic language masterfully blended the vital energy of primitive art with the geometric structures of Cubism, permanently redefining the expressive possibilities of three-dimensional form.
Following a brief period of study in London, Zadkine arrived in Paris in 1910, the undisputed epicentre of the international art world at that time. He quickly settled in the legendary artists' colony La Ruche ("The Beehive") in Montparnasse. There, he shared a vibrant, creatively charged poverty with a generation of young foreign artists who would later be collectively known as the École de Paris.
Foujita, left, visiting the atelier of Zadkine (seated) at" La Ruche" in Montparnasse, 1913
In Montparnasse, Zadkine formed deep friendships with key figures of modern art, including
Amedeo Modigliani, Chaim Soutine, Foujita, Marc Chagall and Alexander Archipenko.
Zadkine and Modigliani: an artistic friendship
Amedeo Modigliani, Chaim Soutine, Foujita, Marc Chagall and Alexander Archipenko.
Zadkine and Modigliani: an artistic friendship
- Modigliani and Zadkine first met in Paris in 1913. At that time, Modigliani was eager to become a famous sculptor. Their friendship was both intense and mutually inspiring. Both artists shared a profound fascination with the pure, stylized contours of ancient and non-Western sculpture (such as Cycladic and African art). Zadkine was one of the few peers to witness Modigliani’s brief, passionate focus on carving directly into stone (taille directe). Modigliani immortalized their camaraderie in a celebrated, highly expressive drawn portrait of Zadkine in 1914.
- The Cubist Breakthrough
- Immersed in this Paris circle, Zadkine developed his signature Cubist style between 1914 and 1920, pioneering the interplay of concave and convex planes to capture light and shadow in a revolutionary way.
Zadkine in 1914. Photo by Marc Vaux
Portrait of Zadkine by Modigliani ca 1913
Amedeo Modigliani (Livorno 1884 - Paris 1920) in his atelier in Paris, rue Ravignan, 1915
It is a privilege to present to you a rare work available for sale by Zadkine from the period of the Parisian avant-garde. The 1915 drawing by Ossip Zadkine shown below right is not only a testament to his early mastery, but also a poignant reflection of his artistic synergy with his close friend, Amedeo Modigliani. The influence of the 'primitive' aesthetic, which both artists explored so profoundly during this period, is evident in every line. Having recently been exhibited at the Musée Zadkine in Paris, this piece further solidifies its significance within the modernist canon and presents a unique opportunity for any collector of modernism.
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Left : Amedeo Modigliani : Cariatide, 1911 - 1913, black grease pencil, 43 x 26,5 cm
Right : Ossip Zadkine : Nu assis - Seated Nude, 1914, brown ink drawing, 35 x 21 cm
Exhibited at the Zadkine museum, Paris, November 2024 - March 2025. Illustration in the catalogue.
Provenance : private collection, New York
With an authenticity certificate by the Zadkine Research Center.
ASK THE AUTHENTICITY CERTIFICATE
Contact : 02 539.23.09 - [email protected]
Right : Ossip Zadkine : Nu assis - Seated Nude, 1914, brown ink drawing, 35 x 21 cm
Exhibited at the Zadkine museum, Paris, November 2024 - March 2025. Illustration in the catalogue.
Provenance : private collection, New York
With an authenticity certificate by the Zadkine Research Center.
ASK THE AUTHENTICITY CERTIFICATE
Contact : 02 539.23.09 - [email protected]
The Zadkine drawing, far right, at the Modigliani - Zadkine exhibition at the Zadkine museum in Paris, November 2024 - March 2025
At the outbreak of World War I, Modigliani remained in Paris, having been rejected for military service due to his fragile health
and chronic tuberculosis. Driven by a deep sense of loyalty to his adoptive country, Zadkine volunteered for the French army.
Zadkine was assigned to the Russian Ambulance Corps as a brancardier (stretcher-bearer) on the French front line. This role placed him directly in the epicenter of the war's physical and psychological horrors, constantly rescuing severely wounded soldiers under heavy fire.
The turning point came during a devastating German poison gas attack on the front. Zadkine was severely gassed, sustaining deep chemical injuries to his respiratory system and a profound psychological shock. The physical and mental trauma of the gas attack completely incapacitated Zadkine, leading to his medical discharge from the military in 1917. His recovery was an agonizingly slow process. The damage to his lungs required prolonged convalescence, largely spent away from the toxic, coal-smoke environment of wartime Paris. The physical weakness left by the gas meant he temporarily lacked the stamina required for the rigorous manual labor of carving and sculpting. By the time Zadkine finally regained his strength and returned to the Montparnasse art scene, the pre-war bohemian world he had shared with Modigliani had been fractured forever. The harrowing experiences of the trenches permanently altered the emotional depth of Zadkine's work, steering him toward a more profound, melancholic, and expressive treatment of the human form.
and chronic tuberculosis. Driven by a deep sense of loyalty to his adoptive country, Zadkine volunteered for the French army.
Zadkine was assigned to the Russian Ambulance Corps as a brancardier (stretcher-bearer) on the French front line. This role placed him directly in the epicenter of the war's physical and psychological horrors, constantly rescuing severely wounded soldiers under heavy fire.
The turning point came during a devastating German poison gas attack on the front. Zadkine was severely gassed, sustaining deep chemical injuries to his respiratory system and a profound psychological shock. The physical and mental trauma of the gas attack completely incapacitated Zadkine, leading to his medical discharge from the military in 1917. His recovery was an agonizingly slow process. The damage to his lungs required prolonged convalescence, largely spent away from the toxic, coal-smoke environment of wartime Paris. The physical weakness left by the gas meant he temporarily lacked the stamina required for the rigorous manual labor of carving and sculpting. By the time Zadkine finally regained his strength and returned to the Montparnasse art scene, the pre-war bohemian world he had shared with Modigliani had been fractured forever. The harrowing experiences of the trenches permanently altered the emotional depth of Zadkine's work, steering him toward a more profound, melancholic, and expressive treatment of the human form.
Zadkine, seated at the upper far right, recovering in Epernay, 1917
In July 1920, Ossip Zadkine married the French painter Valentine Prax (1897–1981). Prax, who had arrived in Paris from Algeria, lived in a neighboring studio in the Rue Rousselet in Montparnasse. The couple became a formidable artistic duo within the Parisian avant-garde, fiercely supporting one another's careers through decades of immense cultural shift and personal hardship.
A Shared Artistic Sanctuary: Shortly after their marriage, the couple's search for a quiet space to work led them to purchase a rustic property in Arques, a small village in the Lot region of southwest France. This rural retreat became a profound source of inspiration for both artists—Zadkine carved many of his major wooden masterworks there, while Prax captured the raw beauty of the French countryside in her expressive paintings.
Devotion Through Exile: Their bond was heavily tested during World War II. Because of Zadkine's Jewish heritage, he was forced to flee into exile to the United States in 1941. Prax remained behind in occupied France under incredibly perilous conditions to successfully safeguard their Paris studios and protect Zadkine’s life's work from confiscation or destruction.
A Shared Artistic Sanctuary: Shortly after their marriage, the couple's search for a quiet space to work led them to purchase a rustic property in Arques, a small village in the Lot region of southwest France. This rural retreat became a profound source of inspiration for both artists—Zadkine carved many of his major wooden masterworks there, while Prax captured the raw beauty of the French countryside in her expressive paintings.
Devotion Through Exile: Their bond was heavily tested during World War II. Because of Zadkine's Jewish heritage, he was forced to flee into exile to the United States in 1941. Prax remained behind in occupied France under incredibly perilous conditions to successfully safeguard their Paris studios and protect Zadkine’s life's work from confiscation or destruction.
Wedding picture of Zadkine and Valentine Prax (left) in 1920. At the right, their witness Foujita and his wife.
The 1930s: Shift to a Lyrical Style
In the 1930s, Ossip Zadkine transitioned from the rigid, geometric constraints of strict Cubism toward a more fluid, "lyrical" aesthetic.
This evolution was defined by 4 key elements:
Fluid Contours: Harsh geometric angles softened into elegant, sweeping curves, giving his figures a rhythmic, poetic sense of movement.
Metamorphosis & Nature: Heavily inspired by classical mythology, Zadkine began physically intertwining the human form with organic elements, depicting figures transforming into branches, trees, or musical instruments.
Openness & Light: He began introducing dynamic piercings and open spaces into his sculptures, allowing air and light to pass through the work while utilizing more expressive, theatrical gestures.
Rural Inspiration: This shift was deeply nurtured by the time he spent at his countryside retreat in Arques (in the Lot region of southwest France), where the surrounding natural landscape inspired a timeless, organic classicism.
In the 1930s, Ossip Zadkine transitioned from the rigid, geometric constraints of strict Cubism toward a more fluid, "lyrical" aesthetic.
This evolution was defined by 4 key elements:
Fluid Contours: Harsh geometric angles softened into elegant, sweeping curves, giving his figures a rhythmic, poetic sense of movement.
Metamorphosis & Nature: Heavily inspired by classical mythology, Zadkine began physically intertwining the human form with organic elements, depicting figures transforming into branches, trees, or musical instruments.
Openness & Light: He began introducing dynamic piercings and open spaces into his sculptures, allowing air and light to pass through the work while utilizing more expressive, theatrical gestures.
Rural Inspiration: This shift was deeply nurtured by the time he spent at his countryside retreat in Arques (in the Lot region of southwest France), where the surrounding natural landscape inspired a timeless, organic classicism.
Zadkine in his atelier in Paris, 1930
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"Le compositeur inspiré - the inspired composer" 1936
with violin and cello
Bronze, 45 x 27 x 26 cm
Cast second half of the 1930's at foundry Alexis Rudier, Paris, ed. 2/3
Exhibited in New York 1937, Amsterdam, Paris, Antwerp, Darmstadt, Cologne etc..
With a letter by Zadkine to the first owner
SOLD
with violin and cello
Bronze, 45 x 27 x 26 cm
Cast second half of the 1930's at foundry Alexis Rudier, Paris, ed. 2/3
Exhibited in New York 1937, Amsterdam, Paris, Antwerp, Darmstadt, Cologne etc..
With a letter by Zadkine to the first owner
SOLD
The Destroyed City (La Ville Détruite), 1953:
Installed on May 15, 1953, at the Leuvehaven in Rotterdam, this sculpture is universally recognized as Zadkine’s absolute masterpiece and one of the most powerful public monuments of the 20th century. It stands as a visceral, towering response to the horrors of modern warfare.
Installed on May 15, 1953, at the Leuvehaven in Rotterdam, this sculpture is universally recognized as Zadkine’s absolute masterpiece and one of the most powerful public monuments of the 20th century. It stands as a visceral, towering response to the horrors of modern warfare.
"The Destroyed City" in Rotterdam
Today, The Destroyed City remains a sacred landmark for Rotterdam. It serves as a stark reminder of the nightmarish destruction of 1940, but also stands as a testament to human resilience—a city that lost its heart, yet found the strength to rebuild itself anew.
Picasso, Foujita, Zadkine and art critic Waldemar George, 1950's
The Ultimate Legacy : Musée Zadkine
It was Valentine Prax's final wish and legal bequest to donate their shared home, studios, and personal art collections to the City of Paris. This act of devotion resulted in the creation of the Musée Zadkine on the Rue d'Assas (Jardin du Luxembourg), ensuring that both Zadkine’s monumental sculptures and her own vibrant paintings would be permanently preserved together for future generations.
It was Valentine Prax's final wish and legal bequest to donate their shared home, studios, and personal art collections to the City of Paris. This act of devotion resulted in the creation of the Musée Zadkine on the Rue d'Assas (Jardin du Luxembourg), ensuring that both Zadkine’s monumental sculptures and her own vibrant paintings would be permanently preserved together for future generations.
