The works of Jacek Malczewski are being shown at the Orsay museum in Paris from February 15th until May 14th 2000. Born in Poland in 1854, Malczewski was a much intriguing artist who was better known in his native country rather than abroad.
Much attached to his country and its independence at a time when Russia occupied it, this artist filled his paintings with allegories, allusive themes or religious symbols.
He often painted his self-portrait shown with satyrs, nymphs, Death, Faith, Time or spectacular figures.
Much extravagant, Malczewski had much in common with Böcklin, Klinger, Kubin or de Chirico. It is not his exhibitionist attitude that seems disturbing when he shows himself dressed as a gentleman of the Renaissance period, a wise man or a Magus with his baldhead and Faustian beard and moustache. It's even not his innuendoes, his synthetic references that are embarrassing to the eye of the viewer. His works somewhat appear somewhat methodical despite the fact that he tried to synthesise delirious dreams with much realism. Malczewski, who died in 1929, had almost the eye of a photographer applying his colours on his canvasses with much discretion and giving special effects to his works, which however appeared somewhat old-fashioned.
ORIENTAL ART SPECIALIST DEAD
Raoul Curiel, a prominent specialist on Oriental art, died at 86 on February 22nd 2000 in Paris.
Born in Cairo to a wealthy Jewish family of bankers, Curiel studied in Paris, notably Indian and Iranian art and joined the Free French Forces during World War Two. Curiel headed the department of Pakistani antiquities from 1954 until 1958 and took part in many missions in the Middle East before becoming curator of the Oriental coins department at the French National Library.
Curiel, who donated many of his books to several institutions, spent most of his time in his Paris flat where he used to receive researchers after his retirement.
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