HELENE BAILLY gallery is proud to present a monographic exhibition dedicated to Moïse Kisling (1891–1953), a Polish-born painter who became a naturalized French citizen. A singular figure of the School of Paris, Kisling is renowned for his mastery of color and his central role in the renewal of the nude in 20th-century painting.
Trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, Kisling’s early influences followed a dual lineage: the post-Impressionist masters such as Renoir and Cézanne, and more directly, his teacher Józef Pankiewicz, who encouraged him to move to Paris in 1910.
In Montmartre, and later in Montparnasse, he quickly integrated into the cosmopolitan world of the artistic bohemia, where his connections with Modigliani, Soutine, and Braque enriched his pictorial language.
Fascinated by the female figure, which he approached as a plastic ideal, Kisling developed an iconography of the frontal portrait and stylized nude that became emblematic of his work.
In parallel, his still lifes—particularly floral bouquets—allowed him to explore chromatic relationships and decorative structures with great autonomy. These floral compositions, rich in color density, reflect the same pursuit of harmony and formal tension found in his figure paintings.
Featured in this exhibition, the work Didi (1936) stands as a significant example. The contrast between the model’s red hair and the acidic green background highlights an almost diaphanous complexion, while the sinuous curves, inspired by Italian Mannerism, reveal Kisling’s attention to line and stylization. His palette, at times reminiscent of the Pre-Raphaelites (notably Dante Gabriel Rossetti), situates this nude at the intersection of classical references and modernist concerns.
Through his ability to blend figurative tradition, chromatic boldness, and a strong sense of formal synthesis, Kisling embodies a unique path within modern painting—distinct from radical avant-gardes, yet in constant resonance with the aesthetic movements of his time.