Léopold Survage (Russian, –1968)

Timeline

Born in Moscow in 1879, Survage formed the Symbolist group “The Blue Rose” with Archipenko, Larionov, Pevsner in 1905; and in 1910 exhibited with the “Knave of Diamonds” society with Kandinsky, Chagall and Malevitch. In 1912 he created the groundbreaking abstract series “Rythmes Colorés” which is now largely in the collection of MOMA in New York.
First visiting Paris in 1908, Survage exhibited with the Cubist group at the Salon des Indépendants, and went on to exhibit with the legendary “Section D’Or” group. In 1917 Apollinaire organised a one-man show for Survage at Galerie Bougard. During the 1920’s he created his renowned Cubist “paysages” series and exhibited at the Galerie L’Effort Moderne of Léonce Rosenberg including “L’Effort Moderne”; “Les Maîtres du Cubisme”; “Synthèse et Construction”. From the 1930’s his compositions became increasingly surreal, regularly incorporating metaphysical symbolism.
Most notable international exhibitions include Chicago Arts Club, 1925; Kraushaar Gallery, New York, 1927; “Modern French Painting”, Moscow, 1928; Knoedler Gallery, New York, 1929; “Painting in Paris”, MOMA New York, 1930; “Avant-Garde Artists”, Tokyo, 1933. Major prizes include the Gold Medal at the International Paris Exhibition of 1937; Solomon Guggenheim Foundation Award, 1960; and the Légion d’Honneur, 1963.
The artist is now represented in museums worldwide including the Musée National d’Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou (Paris); Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow); Athens Museum; Chicago Arts Club; Bezalel Museum (Jerusalem); Museum of Modern Art, (New York).
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Literature

Raymon Nacenta, La Scuola di Parigi, Istituto Geografico de Agostini, Novara, 1960
Artistes russes de l’Ecole de Paris, Petit Palais, Musée d’Art Moderne, Ginevra, 1989
J. Milner, A dictionary of Russian & Soviet Artists, 1420-1970, Woodbridge, Antique Collectors’ Club Ltd, 1993
G. Schurr, P. Cabanne, Dictionnaire des Petits Maitres de la peinture, 1820-1920, Paris, Les editions de l’amateur, 1996
Da Renoir a Picasso, un secolo d’arte al Petit Palais di Ginevra, a cura di Paola Gribaudo, Milano, Electa, 2001
Da Caillebotte a Picasso, I capolavori della collezione Oscar Ghez dal Museo del Petit Palais di Ginevra a cura di L. Caramel, N. Sainte Fare Garnot, G. Gentry, Milano, Mazzotta, 2003
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