Femme aux souliers noirs by Jules Pascin

Jules Pascin
1885-1930 | Bulgarian-French

Femme aux souliers noirs
(Woman in Black Shoes)

Signed "Pascin" (lower left)
Oil on canvas

This intimate portrait was composed by the Bulgarian-born French Expressionist painter Jules Pascin. Known as the "Prince of Montparnasse," Pascin made a name for himself throughout both Europe and the United States as a painter of women, often depicting them nude or partially clothed. Undoubtedly influenced by the French Impressionists, particularly Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Pascin developed a highly gestural style that is uniquely his own. Femme aux souliers noirs displays the unique qualities that made his work so groundbreaking during his lifetime.

Though he was born in Bulgaria and became a United States citizen in 1920, Pascin spent most of his career is Paris, and he is regarded today as a French painter. It was on his return to France from the United States in 1923 when his so-called nacrée, or "pearly," style began to emerge in his work; the present painting dates to this same period. In it, one can see how Pascin adopted a more fluid touch in his paint application, working with almost dry brushes. The technique allowed him to make his tones more transparent, lending a ghostly, immaterial quality to his figures. This portrait perfectly embodies the atmospheric qualities of his nacrée period. Less sensual than his nudes, Femme aux souliers noirs nevertheless displays the earthy softness and intimate charm that made the artist so successful.

Born in Vidin, Bulgaria, in 1885, Jules Pascin was raised in an affluent Sephardic Jewish family. After studying in Austria and Germany, he moved to Paris in 1905, where his encounter with the city’s avant-garde transformed the course of his career. Pascin quickly became part of the Parisian Modernist circle and soon began exhibiting his prints and drawings at the Salon des Indépendants.

His distinctive talent brought him early success, particularly in North America, where his work found an enthusiastic audience. In 1920, Pascin became a United States citizen, further reflecting the international scope of his career. Though his life was cut short in 1930 at the age of 45, Pascin left behind a celebrated body of work that secured his place among the leading figures of the École de Paris. Today, his works are held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Louvre, the Art Institute of Chicago and other major institutions.

Circa 1923

Canvas: 24" high x 18" wide
Frame: 33 1/4" high x 27" wide