Bidspirit auction | Benn (Bencjon Rabinowicz) (1905–1989)Polish/French

Benn (Bencjon Rabinowicz) (1905–1989)Polish/French - Standing Woman. Painting Oil/canvas 33 x 19 cm, signed and framed  Benn early work was mostly figurative; much of his later work is inspired by the Bible, particularly the Book of Psalms. Biography Benn was born in 1905 in Białystok, Russian Empire, where his father was an architect and his grandfather was a rabbi. He demonstrated an early talent for paintingIn 1917, he began giving private lessons in drawing. In 1926, he started making theatre sets. In 1927, Benn had his first private exhibition in Wilno (Second Polish Republic). After his admission to the Union of Professional Artists of Poland in 1928, Benn started exhibiting his works in Białystok and Warsaw.In 1929, he received a scholarship to study for three years in Paris, where he attended the Académie Fernand Léger.It was upon his arrival in Paris that he changed his name to Benn and used it exclusively for the rest of his life. During his studies at the Académie, Benn drew on geometric forms but refrained from becoming an abstract painter. In 1932, Benn met ballet dancer and artist Ghera; they wed in 1938 and Benn became a French citizen.