Abraham MINTCHINE (Kiev 1898 – La Garde 1931)

Abraham Mintchine was born in Kiev in 1898. He was a painter, draftsman, theater decorator, and costume designer of the School of Paris. Initially an apprentice to a goldsmith in Kiev, he began creating art at the age of sixteen. He studied at the Kiev School of Art and in the studio of Alexandra Exter. In 1923, he left for Berlin and exhibited cubist works as well as set designs for the Jewish theater there in 1925. In 1926, he went to Paris and mingled with Russian artists: Michel Larionov, Nathalie Gontcharova, Maurice Blond, Chaïm Soutine, and Marc Chagall. Three years later, the dealer René Gimpel began buying all his works. He was then able to travel and go to Provence. In Paris, he exhibited at the Galerie Manteau and the Galerie Zborowski. The artist suffered from tuberculosis and died in La Garde at only 33 years old.
Abraham Mintchine initially had a cubist style, but only one cubist work from 1918 is recorded to date. His most famous works are in an expressionist language, vibrant and exalted.
After his death, numerous exhibitions were dedicated to him in France, England, Italy, Israel, and New York. His works are held in several public collections, such as the Tate in London, the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, and the Museum of Jewish Art and History in Paris.