Jan Lebenstein (1930, Brest-Litovsk – 1999, Kraków), "Affrontement," 1973

Condition
Work mounted

Biography
Painter and printmaker. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw in the studio of Artur Nacht-Samborski. He made his debut at the exhibition “Against War, Against Fascism” at the Arsenal in Warsaw in 1955. In 1959, he received the Grand Prix at the First International Biennial of Young Artists in Paris for his series of “Axial Figures.” From that time on, he lived permanently in Paris. In the following years, he drew his themes from ancient literature, mythology, and the Bible. He created a series devoted to depictions of prehistoric animals. He was associated with the Parisian “Kultura” circle; among other things, he illustrated short stories by Gustaw Herling-Grudziński published there. In 1976, he received the A. Jurzykowski Foundation Award from New York, and in 1987, he received the independent Jan Cybis Award. His works are in the collections of the National Museums in Warsaw, Kraków, and Poznań, as well as at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris.