The Messenger of Zadkine

Ossip Zadkine (1890-1967), born on 4 July in the city of Vitsebsk in the Russian Empire (now Belarus), was an esteemed figure of the École de Paris. Primarily renowned for his sculptures, Zadkine also produced paintings, lithographs, gravures, and aquarelles. Having Jewish and Scottish ancestry, he began his artistic journey in England at the Arts and Crafts School, mastering the direct carving technique. In 1909, he moved to Paris and briefly attended the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Although he admired Rodin, he found himself at odds with the school's teachings and left after six months.

Zadkine's immersion in the Parisian avant-garde scene saw him interact with luminaries like Picasso, Brancusi, and Apollinaire. Initially drawn to Cubism around 1914, he quickly outgrew the movement, feeling its formal austerity clashed with his fiery temperament. Zadkine's sculptures, inspired by Greek, Roman, Gothic, and African arts, were notable for their interplay of lines, voids, and solids. His ability to transform raw material into poetically charged forms was unmatched.

During World War I, he served in the French Army, specifically in a Russian ambulance, witnessing the brutalities of war firsthand. This profound experience influenced his works, infusing them with deep emotion. World War II forced him into exile in the US due to the Nazi threat. It was here he taught in New York before returning to France in 1945. His later life in Paris was a mix of teaching at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and exhibitions celebrating his works.

Zadkine's work, such as "Le Messager", exemplifies his distinct style. Positioned at the intersection of the pont des Invalides and the quai d’Orsay, this Cubist-inspired figurative sculpture, cradling a ship, resonates with Paris's maritime legacy and Zadkine's own heritage, with his family being wooden barge builders. Originally crafted in wood for the 1937 Exposition Internationale des Arts, the sculpture now stands in bronze, relocated from the pont Alexandre III to its present location.

Zadkine described sculpture as a language, asserting its need for words of love and poetry. This sentiment shines through in "Le Messager", where classical linearity meets intricate detailing, offering a glimpse of the artist's baroque vitality. With elements reminiscent of Cubism juxtaposed with more organic expressions, Zadkine masterfully fused multiple influences, making him a celebrated icon. He passed away in 1967, resting eternally in Montparnasse cemetery.