Marek Szwarc
Encyclopedia
Marek Szwarc was a painter
and sculptor. He was born in Zgierz
, Poland
on May 9, 1892 and died in Paris
, France
on December 28, 1958.
, and Kremegne, and together with Tchaikov and Lichtenstein inaugurated the first Jewish art journal Makhmadim (Precious Ones). In 1913 he exhibited his first sculpture, Eve, in the Salon d'Automne
.
During the First World War Szwarc returned to Poland. In 1919 he met and married his wife, Guina, a writer
, and together they returned to Paris after the war. Until the Second World War, Szwarc lived in Paris and his paintings and sculptures were bought by collectors in Germany
, Poland, the United States
, and by several museum
s. It was during this period between the wars that he produced some of his most outstanding and original work in hammered copper
, exhibited in the Salon des Tuileries
and the subject of a monograph by Louis Vauxcelles
.
in 1939, Szwarc volunteered for the Polish army in exile and after the occupation of France he escaped with the Polish army to Scotland
, while his family fled via Lisbon
to England
. It was during this period (1940–1943) that he drew a series of pen and ink drawings depicting the daily life of his fellow soldiers.
After the war he returned to Paris with his wife and daughter, Tereska Torres
who had served in the Free French Forces
of General Charles de Gaulle
in London. She published two books dealing in large part with the life of her father. After the war Marek Szwarc devoted most of his time to sculpting in stone
and wood
and casting in bronze
. Some of these works have been donated to the Musee d'art et d'Histoire du Judaisme in Paris. Other works from this period can still be seen in his atelier in Paris.
themes from the Old and New Testament
. The latter motif
s coming into play after his conversion to Catholicism
in 1919. His identity as a Jew, however, never wavered, as is evidenced in his article, The National Element in Jewish Art, published in a Yiddish literary journal in Warsaw
in 1925.
He exhibited in Sweden
, Austria
, France
, Canada
, Belgium
, Poland
, and several sculptures were bought by the French government.
The artist's works are on display in museums, public halls, places of worship, and private collections in Poland
, Israel
, Montreal
, Caracas
, the United States
, and England
.
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and sculptor. He was born in Zgierz
Zgierz
Zgierz is a town in central Poland, located just to the north of Łódź and part of the metropolitan area centered on that city. As of 2007, it had a population of 58,164....
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
on May 9, 1892 and died in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on December 28, 1958.
Early years
From 1910 to 1914, Szwarc lived and studied art at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. He boarded at la Ruche together with Soutine, Marc ChagallMarc Chagall
Marc Chagall Art critic Robert Hughes referred to Chagall as "the quintessential Jewish artist of the twentieth century."According to art historian Michael J...
, and Kremegne, and together with Tchaikov and Lichtenstein inaugurated the first Jewish art journal Makhmadim (Precious Ones). In 1913 he exhibited his first sculpture, Eve, in the Salon d'Automne
Salon d'Automne
In 1903, the first Salon d'Automne was organized by Georges Rouault, André Derain, Henri Matisse, Angele Delasalle and Albert Marquet as a reaction to the conservative policies of the official Paris Salon...
.
During the First World War Szwarc returned to Poland. In 1919 he met and married his wife, Guina, a writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, and together they returned to Paris after the war. Until the Second World War, Szwarc lived in Paris and his paintings and sculptures were bought by collectors in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Poland, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and by several museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s. It was during this period between the wars that he produced some of his most outstanding and original work in hammered copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, exhibited in the Salon des Tuileries
Salon des Tuileries
The Salon des Tuileries was an annual art exhibition for painting and sculpture, created June 14, 1923, co-founded by painter Albert Besnard, sculptor Antoine Bourdelle, architect Auguste Perret, and others....
and the subject of a monograph by Louis Vauxcelles
Louis Vauxcelles
Louis Vauxcelles was an influential French art critic. He is credited with coining the terms Fauvism , and Cubism ....
.
Later years
When Poland fellHistory of Poland (1939–1945)
The history of Poland from 1939 to 1945 encompasses the German invasion of Poland as well as the Soviet invasion of Poland through to the end of World War II. On 1 September 1939, without a formal declaration of war, Germany invaded Poland...
in 1939, Szwarc volunteered for the Polish army in exile and after the occupation of France he escaped with the Polish army to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, while his family fled via Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was during this period (1940–1943) that he drew a series of pen and ink drawings depicting the daily life of his fellow soldiers.
After the war he returned to Paris with his wife and daughter, Tereska Torres
Tereska Torres
Tereska Torrès is a French writer.Born to the Jewish Polish sculptor Marek Szwarc and his wife Guina she had to flee her native country in 1940 via Lisbon to England when France surrendered to Nazi Germany after the Battle of France while her father, serving in the Polish Armed Forces in the West,...
who had served in the Free French Forces
Free French Forces
The Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...
of General Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
in London. She published two books dealing in large part with the life of her father. After the war Marek Szwarc devoted most of his time to sculpting in stone
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
and wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
and casting in bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
. Some of these works have been donated to the Musee d'art et d'Histoire du Judaisme in Paris. Other works from this period can still be seen in his atelier in Paris.
Death
Marek Szwarc died suddenly at the age of 66. His wife, Guina died in Paris in 1973. Today he is survived by his daughter and grandchildren. In 2010 the French publishing house ressouvenances.fr brought out an edition of Szwarc's memoirs, which he dictated to his wife Eugenia (Guina) Markowa in 1954 titled Marek Szwarc: Memoires entre deux mondes.Works and exhibitions
Szwarc's work, broadly identified in style with the Ecole de Paris, was frequently but not exclusively concerned with biblicalBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
themes from the Old and New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
. The latter motif
Motif (narrative)
In narrative, a motif is any recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story. Through its repetition, a motif can help produce other narrative aspects such as theme or mood....
s coming into play after his conversion to Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
in 1919. His identity as a Jew, however, never wavered, as is evidenced in his article, The National Element in Jewish Art, published in a Yiddish literary journal in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
in 1925.
He exhibited in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and several sculptures were bought by the French government.
The artist's works are on display in museums, public halls, places of worship, and private collections in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.