Georges Kars (1880-1945)

Femme nue debout 1927 Sepia drawing stamped lower right and dated lower left 58 x 37.5 cm Condition report: Framed Born in Prague, Georges Kars moved to Munich in 1899, where he studied under Franz von Stuck. There, he made friends with renowned artists such as Pascin and Paul Klee. In 1907, Kars moved to Madrid, where he met Juan Gris. The works of Velázquez and Goya became major sources of inspiration for him. In 1908, Georges Kars moved to Paris, settling in Montmartre, the epicenter of the artistic bohemia of the time. Here he met such iconic figures as Suzanne Valadon, Maurice Utrillo, Marc Chagall, Guillaume Apollinaire, Max Jacob, Maurice Raynal and Demetrios Galanis. Influenced by Cubism, he adopted simplified forms while remaining committed to realism. Kars is convinced that "art lies not in elaborate technique but in the soul". Georges Kars was primarily a figure painter, using various media such as Indian ink, watercolor and pastel. Georges Kars' life took a tragic turn in 1945. Upset by the horrors of the Second World War, he committed suicide by throwing himself from the fifth floor of his hotel. His fate was closely linked to that of war hero Jean Moulin, who had worked as a gallery owner in Nice to cover up his underground activities as a member of the Resistance. A "cover" that was also a long-term commitment (he had met Matisse, Bonnard, Tal-Coat...) according to his friend Daniel Cordier. Jean Moulin had notably exhibited Georges Kars, and our drawing was included in the exhibition "Jean Moulin dit Romanin, artiste, résistant, marchand de tableaux" held in Aix-en-Provence in 2000. Exhibition: Jean Moulin dit Romanin, artiste, résistant, marchand de tableaux, April 6 to June 25, 2000 at the Galerie d'art du Conseil général des Bouches-du-Rhône, Aix-en-Provence, reproduced in the catalog. (MLD)