Jacques Lipchitz at Beelden aan Zee

Museum Beelden aan Zee presents the Lipchitz collection of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem from 30 January until 3 June 2012. The exhibition will comprise 75 bronze objects and includes dozens of studies for monumental works. It is the first time that this special collection will be exhibited outside of Israel.

Together with work from Dutch (museum) collections and sculptures by Dutch sculptors who worked according to Lipchitz's methods and subject matter, this exhibition demonstrates both the versatility of Lipchitz and that of his followers.

About Jacques Lipchitz

Jacques Lipchitz (1891-1973) is known as a representative of Cubism and is considered one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century. This is the first major retrospective of his work in the Netherlands in 30 years.

Born in Lithuania, Lipchitz moved to Paris in 1909 where he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts and the Académie Julian. He was soon to be found in artistic circles where he met Pablo Picasso, Alexander Archipenko and Juan Gris. Lipchitz exhibited his first cubist pictures at the Salon d'Automne in 1913. In subsequent years, his sculptures underwent a progressive abstraction.

After meeting with Le Corbusier, he joined the group of artists around the L'Esprit Nouveau journal in the 1920s. Five years later, he began working more organically. During the Second World War Lipchitz fled France to the United States and in the 1950s and 1960s he had many commissions for monumental art in public space.

Israel Museum collection

Two years before his death, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the artist, the Lipchitz collection was donated by his brother to the Israel Museum. The collection gives a nice overview of the stylistic development which Lipchitz went through as a sculptor.

Highlights of this exhibition include the studies for his famous 'Still life with guitar' in 1914 and the work 'Bellerophon Taming Pegasus' which he created between 1964 and 1973 for Columbia University and is regarded as one of his last masterpieces.

More information about the Jacques Lipchitz exhibition at Beelden aan Zee can be found at: www.beeldenaanzee.nl.