Pavel Tchelitchew (1898 - 1957) Russian
Ink and Watercolor on Paper
Measure 15 1/2"in H x 9 1/2"in W and 21 1/2"in H x 15 1/2"in W with frame
Known for: Abstract figure, portrait, fantasy
Name variants: Pavel Fedorovich Tchelichev, Pavel Tchetlitchev, P Tchetlitchew, Pavel Tchlitchev, Pavel Tehelitchew, Pavel Tschelichew
Biography: Pavel Tchelitchew (1898-1957) was one of the most accomplished figurative artists of his generation, considered by many to rank with his contemporaries Picasso, Matisse and Leger. His works are included in many of the major private and public collections throughout the world, and his most famous work, "Hide and Seek," was for many years highly popular at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Although he eschewed labels, he is often loosely associated with the Neo-Romantic school of painting, which included Christian Berard, Eugene Berman, George Tooker, and Paul Cadmus. His deeply personal, often quite sensuous dreamscape images, are fine examples of figurative art of the past century. His wide circle of friends included Lincoln Kirstein, Boris Kochno, George Balanchine, George Platt Lynes, among many others in the homosexual demi-monde. He created some of the fantastic decors for the Ballets Russes during its heyday. His work was largely neglected after his death, but has regained new interest in the past several years, with several books and monographs on his art, including Lincoln Kirstein's "Tchelitchev".