Jules Pascin

Jules Pascin, Bulgarian born and of Jewish descent, came to Paris as a young man living a Bohemian life style in the company of Modigliani, Soutine and the others of the group known as “Circle of Montparnasse”. Taking his thematic inspiration from Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec, without their sharpness of observation, he concentrated on female figure studies exhibiting a fine delicacy of line and color.  In 1930 on the day his first major exhibition was due to open at Galerie Georges Petit, Pascin committed suicide by hanging himself in his studio.

Pascin was best known for his depictions of the women inhabiting the shadowy underworld of Paris bars and brothels.  In fact, he often used prostitutes as models.  This drawing which is a study for a painting of the same year titled La Belle d’Alal (catalogue raisonne no. XXVIII) depicts a model named Simone who was a prostitute and a frequent subject for the artist.  The drawing itself belonged to Pascin’s lover Lucy Krogh, and had remained in her family until the present.

He exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Francais beginning in 1905, at the Salon des Independants from 1906, and at the Salon d’Automne.  Pavil received a mention in 1928, silver medals in 1930 and1931 and was decorated with the Legion of Honneur.  Various public buildings in Paris conserve his works, as well as the Musee du Petit Palais and the Musee d’Art Moderne.