Samuel Granowsky (Ukrainian, 1889-1942) Russian Musicians signed in Latin 'S. Granowsky' and dated '1921' (lower right on right panel) oil on canvas laid on folding screen each canvas panel: 147 x 140.5cm (57 7/8 x 55 5/16in); size of folding screen: 177 x 140.5cm (69 11/16 x 55 5/16in). Footnotes: Provenance Collection of Nadine Nieszawer, Paris Exhibited Paris, Les Russes à Paris, Musée du Montparnasse, 1999 Budapest, The Friends of Modigliani, Soutine in Montparnasse, Hungarian Jewish Museum, 2003 Jewish Artists of the School of Paris, Artcurial Vienna - Artcurial Brussels - Artcurial Paris, 2015 Literature Peintres Juifs de l'École de Paris 1905-1939, Éditions Denoël, Paris, 2000, p. 144 The Friends of Modigliani, Soutine in Montparnasse, Hungarian Jewish Museum, Vince Editions, Budapest, 2003, p. 32 Jewish Artists of the school of Paris 1905-1939, Somogy Éditions d'Art, Paris, 2015, p. 142 Samuel Granowsky attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Odessa and pursued his studies in Munich and in Paris. In 1908 he settled in the Montparnasse district where he started posing as a model at the Académie de la Grande Chaumiere and worked as a cleaner at the café La Rotonde. Together with his female companion Aïcha Goblet, the famous model of Montparnasse, Granowsky became an emblematic figure of the time, nicknamed 'the cowboy of Montparnasse.' This was because he was known for his eccentric behaviour and for strolling the streets wearing a bright-coloured shirt and a Texan hat, which was part of his attire as an extra on a movie set. His artworks were focused on scenes of Parisian life as well as traditional Russian figures, fairs, and musicians. He also painted portraits, nudes, and wildlife paintings. He was renowned for the eclectic character of his art: mural frescos, paintings on furniture, screens, and sculptures. During the war, Sam Granowsky stayed in Paris but was arrested by the French police during the Vel d'Hiv roundup. He was interned in Drancy and killed in Auschwitz.   For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com