Études de nus, 1930

Léopold Survage   Famous Artists

An old student of the School of Fine Arts of Moscow, his encounter with famous Russian collector Chtchoukine (fond of Manet, Gauguin, the Impressionists, Matisse) determined his career, His discovery of Matisse's work led Leopold Survage to take the decision of leaving Moscow (the city where he was born in 1879) and to settle in Paris (where he died in 1968). The city of lights gave him two things: his artistic education besides the leader of Fauvism (Matisse) as well as an impressionist inspiration (that of Cézanee).

A strong friendship with calligraphy specialist, Guillaume Apollinaire opened for him, the doors to the circle of Baroness Helen Oettingen, and led him to have a relation with André Salmon, Pablo Picasso, Sonia Delaunay etc. This circle influenced him towards a Cubist style. Apollinaire being a master in this field. Leopod Survage added a surrealist trend to this Cubist Legacy, symbolic of the classicism of Russian Ballet. This combination of heterogeneous worlds has its imprints in his visual metaphors, which are reminiscent of the "transparencies" of Picabia. His metaphors include the philosophical fable of a man who is between an angel and a beast in 1952.

Passionate about emulsion paint, he used it during his first exhibition in 1911, where he exhibited the principle of "Colorful Rythms" which is an analogy of visual shapes and music. He then published a magazine about these "rhythms", published by Apollinaire. He exhibited as well at the Salon des Indépendants in 1912 with the Cubist circle. Ten years laters, the artist had work on the decoration of multiple operas (the Opera Bouffe by Stravisnky) and in theaters commisioned by Louis Jouvet and made a renovation of the School of Women Molière. His field of exploration advanced with commissions of drawings for the famous brand Chanel, for which he made a composition of a crucifixion for a cathedral in Finland and the creation of monumental poster for the Palais des Chemins de Fer at the Exhibition of Art and Techniques in Paris.

On March 12, 1963 Léopol Survage was appointed Officer of the Legion of Honor.