Michel Kikoine first began his artistic training at Kruger's School of Drawing in Minsk during his early teenage years. Born in 1892 in Rechytsa, Russia, he emerged as a significant painter within the School of Paris movement, establishing a career defined by his transition from Eastern Europe to the vibrant studios of the French capital.
Early Education and Paris Arrival
After developing his skills in Minsk, Kikoine moved to the Vilnius Academy of Art at age sixteen. In 1911, he relocated to Paris, where he joined the Montparnasse community. He enrolled in the École des Beaux-Arts, specifically studying in Cormon's studio. During this period, he resided at La Ruche, a famous artistic residence, and forged a lasting professional and personal relationship with Chaïm Soutine, a fellow Belarusian painter he had met earlier in his studies.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →War Service and Artistic Maturation
Kikoine married a woman from Vilnia in 1914, the same year he volunteered for service in the French army. He remained in the military until the conclusion of World War I. His professional debut occurred in 1919 at the Chéron Gallery in Paris. Throughout the 1920s, he balanced his domestic life with travel, painting Expressionist landscapes in Céret and Cagnes-sur-Mer alongside Soutine between 1922 and 1923.
Wartime Displacement and Later Career
Following the German occupation of France during World War II, Kikoine and his family sought safety near Toulouse to avoid deportation. After the liberation, he returned to Paris, focusing his output on portraits, nudes, and self-portraits. He traveled to Israel in 1950, participating in various exhibitions. In 1958, he relocated to Cannes on the Mediterranean coast, where he resumed landscape painting until his death on 4 November 1968.
Technical Approach and Legacy
Kikoine aimed to depict the unmediated experience of nature, often channeling the passion and depth of his subjects. His work evolved from post-Impressionist foundations, reflecting the anxieties and experiences of a foreign artist. His son, Jacques Yankel, also became a painter. In 2004, the Genia Schreiber University Art Gallery in Tel Aviv dedicated a new wing to Kikoine, ensuring the documentation of his contribution to the School of Paris.
Fast facts
- Born: 1892, Rechytsa, Russian Empire
- Died: 4 November 1968, 14th arrondissement of Paris
- Occupation: Painter
- Movement: Expressionism, School of Paris
- Education: Kruger's School of Drawing, Vilnius Academy of Art, Beaux-Arts de Paris
- Known associates: Chaïm Soutine, Pinchus Kremegne
- Notable residence: La Ruche, Paris
- Citizenship: France, Russian Empire
Questions readers ask
Did Kikoine serve in any military conflicts?
Yes, he served in the French army during World War I and was mobilized in the military reserve near Soissons in 1939.
What subjects did Kikoine paint after World War II?
Following the war, his primary subjects shifted toward nudes, portraits, and self-portraits.
Achievements
- Movement: Expressionism and School of Paris
