Jacques Lipchitz (1891-1973) is recognised as the most significant Cubist sculptor of the twentieth century. While other contemporaries such as Raymond Duchamp-Villon, Josef Csaky and Henri Laurens for a time explored ideas related to Cubism, it was Lipchitz who embraced the movement's language and consistently translated its ideologies into sculptural forms.
A Jewish immigrant, Lipchitz arrived in Paris in 1909. There he battled against rampant prejudice and the volatile art world to establish himself as one of the capital's most successful and prominent avant-garde artists. His relationship with Picasso was a ferment of mutual admiration, curiosity and influence - many of Lipchitz's motifs derived from Picasso's canvases, while Picasso respected Lipchitz's views on his own sculpture.
The threat of Hitler's troops prompted Lipchitz to move to America in 1941, where he stayed until his death in 1973. Taking nothing but one or two maquettes, Lipchitz successfully rebuilt his career and became recognised as the grand old man of Cubism and a pioneer in a new cross-cultural view of art - he was one of the first to suggest a dialogue between outdoor monumental sculpture and its surrounding environment or architecture.
While Lipchitz's huge contribution to twentieth-century sculpture cannot be doubted, little has been written on his career as a whole. Jacques Lipchitz - The first Cubist sculptor sets out to redress this. Published to accompany a gift of 40 sculptures to the Courtauld Gallery, London, Catherine Putz presents a thorough analysis of the sculptor's career while also discussing the gallery's newly acquired pieces. With 80 colour images and numerous archival photographs, some of which have never been seen before, this book provides a fascinating insight into the life and work of one of the twentieth century's most accomplished sculptors.publiarq.com
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