Zygmunt Sigmund Menkes, Polish 1896-1986- Figure; oil on canvas, signed lower left, 90 x 70cm (ARR) Provenance: Private Collection, London. Note: Zygmunt Menkes' name is synonymous with the École de Paris group active during the 1920s and 1930s. He began his artistic training in the private studio of Alexander Archipenko in 1922 in Berlin, before deciding to settle in Paris in 1923. Whilst based there he formed close relationships with Marc Chagall and Eugeniusz Zak and would go onto exhibit at Salon d'Automne, the Salon des Independants and Tuileries Salon. In 1939 Menkes moved to the US where he lived for the rest of his life. Like the majority of artists, Menkes style and aesthetic change over his artistic career, with an early style reminiscent of Henri Matisse and the Fauvists. Over time this style became more expressionistic, with colour - and the way it was applied - taking a predominant role in the composition. Post-World War II, Menkes created a series of paintings depicting Jews imprisoned in the Warsaw Ghetto, this series was dominated with tones of blue and grey. Again, his style changed with his move to the US. Thick black lines dominated the picture plane, depicting still lifes and interior scenes with hues of blue, black and white throughout. Eventually his compositions became increasingly abstract, focusing on geometric shapes with contrasting, vivid colours.Please refer to department for condition report