French Expressionist Original Colored Drawing Painting Seated Nude Young Woman by Jules Pascin, 1920

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An important French Expressionist original colored sketch painting of a young nude female by Jules Pascin (1885-1930).

This thoughtful original … Read more An important French Expressionist original colored sketch painting of a young nude female by Jules Pascin (1885-1930).

This thoughtful original artwork, a sketch circa 1920 done in a mix of graphite and colored pencil & wash on paper and depicts a young woman, sitting nude on a soft surface, possibly a bed, with her back turned to the artist. She is relaxed, with her legs bent up in front of her, her weight supported by leaning on her arms which are extended back from her torso. She looks to the left, not at the artist and is engrossed in her own thoughts. We see her in a candid pose, perhaps a model sitting, or one of the 'petites filles' (prostitute) waiting for her client to arrive. The painting is signed "Pascin" in the lower center-left of the paper. The drawing is housed in an ebonized hardwood frame, under non-reflective UV museum glass, this lovely sketch is in excellent condition and is ready to hang on your wall.

Julius Mordecai Pincas, known as Jules Pascin (born-died) and also as the 'Prince of Montparnasse'. Pascin was a part of the great migration of artists to Paris in the first few years of the turn of the century until the outbreak of World War I, where he defected to London first in 1913 followed by the United States in 1914. He was a contemporary and friend of both Marc Chagall and Amadeo Modigliani, Pascin was deeply social in the artistic circle of this time, which included Ernest Hemingway (who wrote of Pascin in a chapter of his own memoir titled, 'With Pascin at the Dome'). In France, he was the symbol of the Montparnasse artistic community, and had an iconic presence, always donning his bowler hat, charming others with his quick wit, and reputation for hosting large parties in his flat with his fellow bohemians, and bringing 'as many bottles of wine as he could carry' to any dinner parties to which he was invited. Pascin painted his surroundings and friends, both male and female, but is most known for painting prostitutes waiting for clients or models waiting for sitting to end. He was successful in selling his work quickly, but was fleeting with his money, and lived for the pleasures of life and satire.
Pascin was still a teenager when he decided to leave his parents to study painting and travel the world. His father, who was a powerful representative of the Austrian Emperor and a rich seed merchant, was against his son’s intents. The owner of a brothel in Bucharest triggered his taste for painting. She encouraged him to draw, talked to him about Toulouse-Lautrec and Degas, and advised him to leave for Paris. However, Pascin, who was then still little Pinkas, went to Vienna in 1903. He studied at a painting academy and met George Grosz. In 1904, in Munich, he was in touch with Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky, and Alfred Kubin. He worked as a cartoonist for the German humorous and satirical magazine Simplicissimus for five years. With his father’s authorization, he adopted the name Pascin. Following a trip to Berlin, he arrived in Paris on December 24, 1905. He was welcomed by the “Dômiers” (regular customers of Le Dôme café): Rudolf Lévy, Walter Bondy and dealer Henri Bing, who introduced him to Hermine David. The latter was then Jean-Paul Laurens’ student at the Académie Julian and painted miniatures on ivory.
In 1908, Pascin enrolled in the Matisse Academy. He visited the Louvre and took a particular interest in 18th-century painters, such as Watteau, Fragonard, Greuze, and Boucher. In 1910, he met Lucy Vidil who was then a model at the Matisse Academy. He asked her to pose for him in his studio and fell in love with her. Pascin’s income mainly came from his work at the magazine Simplicissimus. He was generous and renowned for the parties he threw, where he invited André Warnod, André Salmon, André Derain, and Kisling. In 1913, dealers discovered Pascin after the latter sent drawings to the Armory Show in New York. This was his first contact with America.
As soon as World War I broke out, he stopped working for the German magazine, left his studio to the Kroghs, embarked for the United States and settled in Brooklyn’s Jewish neighborhood. He was welcomed by former Dômiers Max Weber and Maurice Sterne, who introduced him to the New York avant-garde. He brought with him some drawings of nudes, which shocked then-prudish America. He met John Quinn who later became one of his greatest collectors, as well as critic Henry McBride. Hermine joined Pascin in the United States a year later. Every winter, the couple traveled to Charleston, Louisiana, and Cuba, from where Pascin brought back a series of watercolors. Pascin maintained his liaison with Lucy through an uninterrupted correspondence.
When he returned to Paris in 1920, Pascin, was then an American citizen and married to Hermine. He met Lucy who had in the meantime married Norwegian painter Per Krogh and given birth to a son Guy. Pascin settled at 3 rue Joseph- Bara, where Kisling and Zborowski were already living. People recognized him as he always wore a bowler hat. On the road from Montparnasse to Montmartre, he often stopped at La Belle Poule, his favorite brothel in rue Blondel. He threw numerous parties and made the most of Parisian nightlife, together with Francis Carco, his Bulgarian friend Georges Papazoff, Pierre Mac Orlan, André Salmon, Paul Morand, Foujita, and the famous Kiki. Man Ray introduced him to Max Ernst, with whom he often talked late into the night. One night, Pascin met Soutine at Le Select bar. Youki Desnos wrote about this event in his book Confidences: “We all drank a good dozen of whiskies. Despite the good atmosphere that it had led to, the two artists did not bridge the gap between them […].While leaving, Soutine told Pascin: ‘Do not assume that I dislike your paintings. Your little women really turn me on.’ ‘I forbid you from getting turned on in front of my women, sir,’ answered Pascin, furious. Then he added: ‘I’m the son of God. Shame on those who dislike me.’ Soutine was of Slavic origin, hence superstitious. He ran to Pascin, shook his hands: ‘but I like you a lot Pascin, believe it, I like you a lot.’ And he disappeared in the dark of the night.” Between 1921 and 1922, Pascin left Hermine and moved into 36 boulevard de Clichy. They maintained friendly and fraternal relations. Pascin was a sensitive and sensual man, just like his painting. Throughout his life, he painted women, such as Kiki, Aicha, Jacqueline Godard, Zniah Pichard, the Perlmutter sisters, and Julie Luce. Regularly, Hermine David, Lucy, Per Krogh, their son Guy, and the group of models that Pascin called “les petites crevées” met up for picnics.
Between 1920 and 1930, Pascin, who loved to travel, visited North Africa, several European countries, and the United States. In 1924, he visited Tunisia with painter Abdul Wahab. In 1926, he planned to settle in Palestine but he changed his mind while he was in Cairo and returned to Paris via Tunisia. He brought back with him numerous drawings. In 1924, the Loeb brothers set up an exhibition of Pascin’s work for the opening of their gallery. The catalogue was prefaced by Pierre Mac Orlan. Some time later, on the occasion of a banquet organized in André Warnod’s honor, Pascin got into an argument with Galtier-Boissiere, director of the magazine Crapouillot. Following their argument, Galtier- Boissiere wrote in his paper: “Let Mr Pascin pack his bags and return to Bulgaria. We will be deprived of his lovely drawings but we will be easily comforted.” In 1927, Pascin returned to New York to arrange his business affairs. Lucy met him there. From 1927 to 1930, Pascin was depressive and drank more and more.
In 1927, Flechtheim organized an exhibition in Düsseldorf and commissioned his portrait by Pascin. At that same time, he signed a contract with the Bernheim- Jeune gallery that forced him to paint “pearly” nudes. Pascin never stopped loving Lucy. Their love story ended tragically on June 2, 1930. Pascin committed suicide in his studio. He slashed his wrists and wrote “Goodbye Lucy” with his blood on the door. He hung himself after writing a will in which he bequeathed his estate to Lucy and Hermine. On June 7, 1930, the galleries in Paris closed as a sign of mourning. Over a thousand persons followed the cortege to the Montparnasse cemetery. The rabbi said prayers and repeated several times “may his eyes rest in peace.” Following his death, Hermine and Lucy supported each other in their grief and remained closely tied.
His work is celebrated and collected globally and he is honored by the naming of Pascin Point in Antarctica, and the former synagogue in his birthplace has been renamed the Jules Pascin Cultural Center as recently as 2023.

Pascin's work is housed in some of the most prestigious galleries worldwide including; The Louvre Paris, Metropolitan Museum of Art NY, Art Institute of Chicago, Barnes Collection, Buffalo Art Museum, Brooklyn Museum, The Israel Museum Jerusalem, Whitney Museum of Art NY, British Museum London, to name just a few. See less