Jean Lambert-Rucki (1888–1967) was a Polish

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

artist, sculptor, and graphic artist. He was best known for his participation in the

Cubist Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture. In Cubist artwork, objects are analyzed, broken up and reassemble ...

Surrealist Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to ...

and

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

movements. He exhibited at the 1913

Salon d'Automne The Salon d'Automne (; en, Autumn Salon), or Société du Salon d'automne, is an art exhibition held annually in Paris, France. Since 2011, it is held on the Champs-Élysées, between the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais, in mid-October. The f ...

in Paris; from 1919 was represented by both Léonce Rosenberg at the Galerie de l'Effort Moderne and the art dealer

Paul Guillaume Paul Guillaume (1891 in Paris – 1934 in Paris) was a French art dealer. Dealer of Chaïm Soutine and Amedeo Modigliani, he was one of the first to organize African art exhibitions. He also bought and sold many works from cutting-edge artists of ...

. In March 1920, Lambert-Rucki exhibited at the second exhibition of la

Section d'Or The Section d'Or ("Golden Section"), also known as Groupe de Puteaux or Puteaux Group, was a collective of Painting, painters, sculptors, poets and critics associated with Cubism and Orphism (art), Orphism. Based in the Parisian suburbs, the grou ...

, Galerie de La Boétie, Paris, and participated in the first exhibition of l'Union des Artistes Modernes, where he continued to show his works. He worked with diverse styles and media, at times he was influenced by the

tribal art Tribal art is the visual arts and material culture of indigenous peoples. Also known as non-Western art or ethnographic art, or, controversially, primitive art, Dutton, Denis, Tribal Art'. In Michael Kelly (editor), ''Encyclopedia of Aesthetics. ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. Lambert-Rucki also became well known for his Cubist cityscapes.Comité Jean Lambert-Rucki
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Early life

Born in 1888 in

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

, Poland, Jean Lambert-Rucki was the youngest of a large family. He was eleven years old when his father died suddenly. A child prodigy, he earned a living by making portraits that surprised the Bourgeoisie of Kraków. He attended art school in his hometown to pursue his studies, and then went to the School of Fine Arts in Kraków where he became friends with

Moïse Kisling Moïse Kisling (born Mojżesz Kisling; 22 January 1891 – 29 April 1953) was a Polish-born French painter. He moved to Paris in 1910 at the age of 19, and became a French citizen in 1915, after serving and being wounded with the French Foreign ...

, who was an artist he found n Paris. His youth was marked by immersion in the rich folklore of Central Europe. He made several trips to Russia, frequented gypsies, and learned Russian dances. His work throughout his career remained deeply imbued with the product of these early experiences. Enthused by an exhibition of works by Gauguin in Kraków, he decided to go to Paris and arrived one morning in February 1911 with 17 Francs in his pocket. He immediately met friends of Polish origin who hosted him. He enrolled at the Académie Colarossi where he mingled with bohemian artists of

Montparnasse Montparnasse () is an area in the south of Paris, France, on the left bank of the river Seine, centred at the crossroads of the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the Rue de Rennes, between the Rue de Rennes and boulevard Raspail. Montparnasse has bee ...

Le Dôme Café Le Dôme Café () or Café du Dôme is a restaurant in Montparnasse, Paris that first opened in . Based on the example established by La Closerie des Lilas (created in 1847) and followed by Café de la Rotonde (created in 1911), Le Select (creat ...

and

Café de la Rotonde The Café de la Rotonde is a famous café in the Montparnasse Quarter of Paris, France at 105 Boulevard du Montparnasse, known for its artistic milieu and good food. In its official website, La Rotonde defines itself as a brasserie and restaura ...

. There he met

Chaïm Soutine Chaïm Soutine (13 January 1893 – 9 August 1943) was a Belarusian painter who made a major contribution to the expressionist movement while living and working in Paris. Inspired by classic painting in the European tradition, exemplified by the ...

Léopold Survage Léopold Frédéric Léopoldowitsch Survage (31 July 1879 – 31 October 1968) was a French painter of Finnish origin. Trained in Moscow, he identified with the Russian avant-garde before moving to Paris, where he shared a studio with Amedeo Mod ...

Tsuguharu Foujita was a Japanese–French painter and printmaker born in Tokyo, Japan, who applied Japanese ink techniques to Western style paintings. At the height of his fame in Paris, during the 1920s, he was known for his portraits of nudes using an opalescen ...

Blaise Cendrars Frédéric-Louis Sauser (1 September 1887 – 21 January 1961), better known as Blaise Cendrars, was a Swiss-born novelist and poet who became a naturalized French citizen in 1916. He was a writer of considerable influence in the European mo ...

Max Jacob Max Jacob (; 12 July 1876 – 5 March 1944) was a French poet, painter, writer, and critic. Life and career After spending his childhood in Quimper, Brittany, he enrolled in the Paris Colonial School, which he left in 1897 for an artistic ca ...

and Amedeo Modigliani; who he shared a room with at 8 rue de la Grande-Chaumière in Montparnasse, a studio rented to them by the Polish poet, writer and art dealer

Léopold Zborowski Léopold Zborowski (1889–1932) was a Polish poet, writer and art dealer. He was born in Zaleszczyki into a Jewish family. Zborowski and his wife Anna (Hanka Zborowska) were contemporaries with Parisian artists such as Chaïm Soutine, André De ...

. Lambert-Rucki earned his living by retouching photographs in

Montmartre Montmartre ( , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Right Bank. The historic district established by the City of Paris in 1995 is bordered by Rue Ca ...

, something which did not fulfill his monetary needs. In 1913 he moved into a studio at 29 rue Campagne Première in the

14th arrondissement of Paris The 14th arrondissement of Paris ( ), officially named ''arrondissement de l'Observatoire'' (; meaning "arrondissement of the Observatory", after the Paris Observatory), is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. It is situa ...

. In 1914 he engaged in the

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, Armoured Cavalry Arm, cavalry, Military engineering, engineers, Airborne forces, airborne troops. It was created ...

to serve France during the war. He changed his name to Jean Lambert-Rucki. He was wounded during the war and he was assigned to the Archeological Service at the

Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki The Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki ( el, Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Θεσσαλονίκης ) is a museum in Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia, Greece. It holds and interprets artifacts from the Prehistoric, Archaic, Classical ...

in Greece, where he conducted excavations. He later made copies of the mosaics of ''Sainte Sophie de Salonique'' for the Louvre under the direction of Jean Guiffrey the Curator for the Department of Painting, Musées nationaux. During his military service he befriended sculptors

Joseph Csaky Joseph Csaky (also written Josef Csàky, Csáky József, József Csáky and Joseph Alexandre Czaky) (18 March 1888 – 1 May 1971) was a Hungarian avant-garde artist, sculptor, and graphic arts, graphic artist, best known for his early partici ...

and

Gustave Miklos Gustave Miklos, also written Gusztáv Miklós and Miklós Gusztáv (30 June 1888, in Budapest – 5 March 1967, in Oyonnax) was a sculptor, painter, illustrator and designer of Hungarian origin. An influential sculptor involved with Cubism and e ...

. Miklos became the godfather of Lambert-Rucki's daughter Théano, called "Mara". In 1918, demobilized, Lambert-Rucki returned to Paris where he settled at 12 rue du Moulin-de-Beurre in the Montparnasse district.

After World War I

With the support given by Léonce Rosenberg from 1918, Cubism returned as a central issue for artists. With the Parisian Salons dominated by a

Return to order The return to order (French: ''retour à l'ordre'') was a European art movement that followed the First World War, rejecting the extreme avant-garde art of the years up to 1918 and taking its inspiration from classical art instead. The movement w ...

, the artist, theorist

Albert Gleizes Albert Gleizes (; 8 December 1881 – 23 June 1953) was a French artist, theoretician, philosopher, a self-proclaimed founder of Cubism and an influence on the School of Paris. Albert Gleizes and Jean Metzinger wrote the first major treatise on ...

attempted to resuscitate the spirit of the

in 1920, with the aim of introducing innovative artists of different nationalities to the general public, and organizing exhibitions with literary and musical auditions in many countries. Further support for the endeavor came from Fernand Léger,

Alexander Archipenko Alexander Porfyrovych Archipenko (also referred to as Olexandr, Oleksandr, or Aleksandr; uk, Олександр Порфирович Архипенко, Romanized: Olexandr Porfyrovych Arkhypenko; February 25, 1964) was a Ukrainian and American ...

, Georges Braque, Constantin Brâncuși,

Henri Laurens Henri Laurens (February 18, 1885 – May 5, 1954) was a French sculptor and illustrator. Early life and education Born in Paris, Henri Laurens worked as a stonemason before he became a sculptor. From 1899 to 1902, he attended drawing class ...

Jacques Villon Jacques Villon (July 31, 1875 – June 9, 1963), also known as Gaston Duchamp, was a French Cubist and Abstract art, abstract painter and printmaker. Early life Born Émile Méry Frédéric Gaston Duchamp in Damville, Eure, Damville, Eure, ...

Raymond Duchamp-Villon Raymond Duchamp-Villon (5 November 1876 – 9 October 1918) was a French sculptor. Life and art Duchamp-Villon was born Pierre-Maurice-Raymond Duchamp in Damville, Eure, in the Normandy region of France, the second son of Eugène and Lucie Ducha ...

Louis Marcoussis Louis Marcoussis, formerly Ludwik Kazimierz Wladyslaw Markus or Ludwig Casimir Ladislas Markus, (1878 or 1883, Łódź – October 22, 1941, Cusset) was a painter and engraver of Polish origin who lived in Paris for much of his life and became ...

and Jean Lambert-Rucki. In 1920 Lambert-Rucki married Monique Bickel (born 1892), who was a pupil of the sculptor Auguste Rodin. Their daughter Mara Rucki was born 7 April 1920. In 1923 he became friends with the

Coppersmith A coppersmith, also known as a brazier, is a person who makes artifacts from copper and brass. Brass is an alloy An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements of which at least one is a metal. Unlike chemical compounds with metallic bases, an ...

Jean Dunand Jean Dunand (1877–1942) was a Swiss and French painter, sculptor, metal craftsman and interior designer during the Art Deco period. He was particularly known for his lacquered screens and other art objects. Biography Jules-John Dunand was bor ...

, with whom he worked with for twenty years. He refused the proposal of Jean Dunand to co-sign their works (except at the very beginning of their cooperation). From 1925 to the end of his life, Lambert-Rucki exhibited his works, many of which were commissioned, throughout Europe, Canada and the United States, and churches (large renovations after the Great War). The same year, he collaborated with

Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann (28 August 1879 – 15 November 1933), (sometimes called Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann), was a French furniture designer and interior decorator, who was one of the most important figures in the Art Deco movement. His furn ...

and Jean Dunand for the

International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts The International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts (french: Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes) was a World's fair held in Paris, France, from April to October 1925. It was designed by the Fren ...

of 1925, the exhibition that epitomized what came to be called decades later

, a "modern" style characterized by a streamlined geometric and symmetric compositions, and a sleek machine-age look. In 1930 Lambert-Rucki became one of the pioneers of Modern Religious Art. In 1931, he became an active member of the

Union des Artistes Modernes The French Union of Modern Artists (french: Union des artistes modernes; UAM) was a movement made up of decorative artists and architects founded in France on 15 May 1929 and active until 1959. Initially made up of around 20 dissidents of the Soc ...

(UAM), where he exhibited alongside René Herbst,

Charles-Edouard Jeanneret Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (6 October 188727 August 1965), known as Le Corbusier ( , , ), was a Swiss-French architect, designer, painter, urban planner, writer, and one of the pioneers of what is now regarded as modern architecture. He was ...

(Le Corbusier),

Robert Mallet-Stevens Robert Mallet-Stevens (March 24, 1886 – February 8, 1945) was an influential French architect and designer. Early life Mallet-Stevens was born in Paris in a house called Maison-Laffitte (designed by François Mansart in the 17th century). H ...

, the architect Georges-Henri Pingusson, Jean Fouquet (for whom he made jewelry), in exhibits that emphasized design over decoration. Jean Lambert-Rucki became a naturalized French citizen in 1932. In 1933, he left his Montparnasse studio for one at 26 Rue des Plantes, Paris. In May 1943, he participated in a group exhibition of artists in the "2ème groupe" at Galerie Drouant-David in Paris. He remained solitary throughout his life, fleeing the world with its demands and its vanities. His ''raison d'être'' was the incessant need to create something "new".

Death

In 1967 at the of 80, he died at his home at Rue des Plantes, Paris, France from a vascular disease.

Exhibitions during his life-time

* 1913,

* 1919, Salon d'Automne, Léonce Rosenberg (Galerie de l'Effort Moderne) and with the dealer

* 1920, the second exhibition of la

, Galerie de La Boétie and the

Salon des Indépendants Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (Pa ...

* 1923, one man show at Galerie de l'Effort Moderne * 1925, l'Hôtel du Collectionneur and the Fumoir, with Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann and

* 1932, presents a religious sculpture at the Crémaillère that provokes a scandal that forced him to remove his work from the exhibition * 1934, first manifestation d'Art Sacré at l'Hôtel des Ducs de Rohan * 1936, participates at the manifestation d'Art Sacré, l'OGAR (Office Général d'Art Religieux), 241 bd St Germain * 1937, Exposition Internationale, Pavillon de l'U.A.M. He creates ''l'Accueil des Artistes Modernes'', a sculpted wall at the entrance, and several masks and sculptures inside the pavillon. He presents ''Bonhomme Lambert'' at the Pavillon de la Lumière. He participates in the Pavillon de la Solidarité Nationale and makes jewelry for

Jean Fouquet Jean (or Jehan) Fouquet (ca.1420–1481) was a French painter and miniaturist. A master of panel painting and manuscript illumination, and the apparent inventor of the portrait miniature, he is considered one of the most important painters from ...

. The French State commissions a sculpture entitled ''l'Homme au pardessus''. * 1938, Exposition de l'Art Sacré, Pavillon Marial * 1942, Solo exhibition at Galerie Drouant-David, where he exhibits paintings and sculpture * 1943, exhibits surrealist drawings rue d'Anjou. Exhibition "2ème groupe", Galerie Drouant-David * 1947, Exposition de la Céramique Française Contemporaine, Baden-Baden, then in Vienna * 1949, Salon des Artistes-Décorateurs * 1953, solo exhibition Galerie La " Gentilhommière ", Boulevard Raspail * 1954, solo exhibition Galerie Drouant-David, 52 rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré * 1958, exhibition Cairo, Egypt

Selected works

* ''La visite'', 1919, 65 x 92 cm, Musée des Années 30, Boulogne-Billancourt, Dépôt du Centre Georges Pompidou, 1995 * ''Composition'', 1919, oil on canvas, 56.5 × 47 cm, Musée d'Évreux * ''Les Promeneurs'', 1924, oil on panel, 33.5 × 46.5 cm Musée d'Évreux * Several works at the Musée départemental de l'Oise * ''Saint Sebastien'', 1950, sculpted wood, monochrome paint, 181 x 48 x 25 cm, Mont-de-Marsan; musée de la ville

Selected literature

* Artur Winiarski, Jean Lambert-Rucki, Warsaw, 2017 * J. Lambert-Rucki, Marc-André Ruan, Jean-Pierre Tortil, 1988 * Lambert-Rucki: A Lyrical Surrealist, Soufer Gallery, 199? * Gargallo, Csáky, Lambert-Rucki: exposition Mairie de Paris, Musée Bourdelle, Pablo Gargallo, Jozsef Csáky, 1977 * Jean Lambert-Rucki, 1888–1967: vente, Hôtel Drouot, salle 1, M A Ruan, J P Tortil & Jacques de Vos, 1971 * Jean Lambert-Rucki: présentation d'une donation, 11 octobre 1997-18 janvier 1998, Musée départemental de l'Oise, Beauvais, 1997 * Jean-Lambert-Rucki (1888–1967): Un sculpteur au service de l'Eglise (1938–1967), Alain Choubart, 1992 * Atelier Jean Lambert-Rucki et Mara Rucki, Hôtel Drouot, 1981 * Jean Lambert-Rucki : et les modernes classiques : Galerie Franka Berndt Bastille, Paris, du 13 septembre au 31 octobre 1990, Hôtel des ventes (Enghien-les-Bains, France), 1990 * Lambert-Rucki et les modernes classiques: Exposition. Franka Berndt Bastille, Galerie (Paris), 1990 * Alexandre Vialatte au miroir de l'imaginaire, 2003 * Collection Mara Et Léano Rucki, 25 Sculptures de Jean Lambert-Rucki. Mara Rucki, Léano Rucki, Tajan SA., 2003 * Lambert-Rucki 888–1967 collection Jacques De Vos et à divers amateurs; Art nouveau, art déco : vente, Paris, Drouot-Montaigne, 9 mars 1994, commissaires-priseurs, Mes Christian de Quay, Delavenne et Lafarge, Jacques De Vos, 1994 * Art contemporain: Paul Kallos, né en 1928, bel ensemble de 18 oeuvres de 1954 à 1984, ensemble exceptionnel d'oeuvres de Jean Lambert-Rucki, 1888–1967, 12 sculptures, épreuves d'artistes, 2 tableaux provenant de la famille de l'artiste : vente, Paris, Drouot-Montaigne, 14 avril 1992, commissaire-priseur, Me Pierre Cornette de Saint-Cyr Paul Kallos, Jean Lambert- Rucki, 1992 * L'Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac et ses bâtisseurs, Claude Bergeron, Geoffrey Simmins, Jean Rochon (dom.), 1997 * History of Modern Design: Graphics and Products Since the Industrial Revolution, David Raizman, 2003 * Modern Figurative Paintings, 1890–1950: The Paris Connection, Martin Wolpert, Jeffrey Winter, 2004 * Collection Sjöberg: Jean Lambert-Rucki, Roger Bezombes, Henri Sjöberg, Drouot, 2002 * The Originality of the Avant-garde and Other Modernist Myths, Rosalind E. Krauss, 1986 * Marcel Breuer and a Committee of Twelve Plan a Church: A Monastic Memoir, Hilary Thimmesh, Marcel Breuer, 2011 * Jean Dunand: his life and works, Félix Marcilhac, 1991, * 橋本指輪コレクション: Historic Rings, Diana Scarisbrick, 2004 * Liturgical Arts, 1959 * International Art Market, 1983 * Library Catalog of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.). Library, 1987 * Jean Lambert-Rucki, 1888–1967, Jacques de Vos, Paris, 1991 * Art Deco, Judith Miller, 2007 * * Les Africanistes, peintres voyageurs: 1860–1960, Lynne Thornton, 1990 * History of art, Kirsten Bradbury, 2005 * The encyclopedia of art deco, Alastair Duncan, 1998 * Christie's Art Deco, Fiona Gallagher, Simon Andrews, Michael Jeffery, 2000 * Art Deco, Victor Arwas, 2000 * Art deco 1910–1939, Tim Benton, Charlotte Benton, Ghislaine Wood, 2003 * The Andy Warhol collection: sold for the benefit of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Volume 1, Andy Warhol, John L. Marion, Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, 1988 * 20th Century Decorative Arts, Sotheby's (Firm), 1990 * The design encyclopedia, Mel Byars, 2004 * Rings: Through the Ages, Anne G. Ward, 1981 * Art, Design, Photo, Alexander Davis, 1973 * "Primitivism" in 20th century art: affinity of the tribal and the modern, Volume 2, William Stanley Rubin, Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.), 1984 * Art Deco Interiors: Decoration and Design Classics of the 1920s and 1930s, Patricia Bayer, 1998 * Autour d'un piano de Jean Dunand: sculpteur, dinandier, laqueur, 1877–1942, Jean Dunand, Galerie Jacques de Vos, Claire Bussac, 1991 * Art Deco, Eva Weber, 2004 * Collection Mara et Léano Rucki: 25 sculptures de Jean Lambert-Rucki, Félix Marcilhac, 2003 * Kisling and his friends, Barbara Brus-Malinowska, Jerzy Malinowski, Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie, 1996

Catalogue raisonné

A Catalogue raisonné of the works of Jean Lambert-Rucki is being prepared by the ''Comité Jean Lambert-Rucki'' (an association created 29 October 2008 and declared in the ''Journal Officiel'' 12 November 2008).

References

External links

Agence Photographique de la Réunion des musées nationaux et du Grand Palais des Champs-Elysées

Comité Jean Lambert-Rucki

Brève biographie de Jean Lambert Rucki

''25 sculptures de Jean Lambert-Rucki'' à l'espace Tajan

Op de hoogte jrg 34, 1937, no 5, pp. 143–145 (article published in the Netherlands)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lambert-Rucki, Jean 1888 births 1967 deaths Artists from Kraków Polish sculptors Polish male sculptors Polish painters Polish male painters Modern sculptors Modern painters Polish surrealist artists Cubist artists 20th-century French sculptors French male sculptors School of Paris Art Deco artists Abstract sculptors 20th-century French painters 20th-century French male artists French male painters French military personnel of World War I Académie Colarossi alumni French abstract artists Polish emigrants to France