page_title: Léon Indenbaum
section_title: La Ruche, Paris
hierarchical_section_title: Léon Indenbaum / Biography / La Ruche, Paris
caption_attribution_description: English: Born in Vilnius and educated in Ukrainian art schools, the sculptor Leon Indenbaum (1890-1980) came to Paris in 1911 and probably met Modigliani in the artistic circles of Montparnasse. Both men had studios at various times between 1911 and 1919 in the Cité Falguière, a cul-de-sac off Rue Falguière, named after the nineteenth-century painter and sculptor. Indenbaum would be nearly forgotten today were it not for impressive portraits of him by his friends Modigliani and the Mexican painter Diego Rivera. -gallery label from the Princeton University Art Museum
context_page_description: Léon Indenbaum was a Russian sculptor and artist, born on 10 December 1890 at Chavusy, died 29 September 1981 in Opio.
context_section_description: As a young man, he heard about Paris this time and this unique artistic atmosphere to which he aspired. He managed to reach the French capital in March 1911 and moved to Paris to Montparnasse to "La Ruche" .
  He works in the middle of talented young painters and sculptors, many of whom became famous and subsequently formed the School of Paris : Soutine, Kremegne, Chagall, Kikoïne, Epstein, Zadkineand later Modigliani who devoted a famous painting "Portrait de Leon Indenbaum" (Collection: The Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation).
  From 1911 to 1919, Leon Indenbaum will complete his artistic training in the workshop of the sculptor Antoine Bourdelle at Montparnasse, he had a predilection for the work of his pupil he called "mon jeune poulain" (my protegee)
  By 1912, he outlines three stone sculptures at the Salon des Indépendants. During this period he became a close friend of Modigliani. Modigliani lived some time at Leon Indenbaum's where they shared their passion for art, before renting an artist studio together.
  Jacques Doucet, the famous fashion designer and collector, was his first patron. Leon Indenbaum executed for him many decorative panels, he also worked some time for the decorator Coard, that he left because he could not sign his own works.
  In 1925 he exhibited at Salon des Indépendants: "un buste de jeune fille" and "une femme couchée" (a bust of a girl and a woman lying, both made of stone) critically acclaimed works.
  His work continues in the shadows, Leon being completely indifferent to fame and believing that an artist has no right to be distracted by the "cotes mondains" (by-wordly)
  But patrons, including brothers George and Marcel Bernard, businessmen and collectors came through the door of his studio and convinced him to work on their behalf in any material freedom. But the 1929 crisis occurs and destroys the two bankers.
  The physical and gear problems returned, although lower, as amateurs were acquiring his works.
  In 1939, the war comes, because it hides its origins and many of his works then disappear or are destroyed. Then the years pass, Indenbaum worked discreetly and it is difficult to follow his artistic ascent because of its unsociable nature and his horror of publicity.
caption: Amedeo Modigliani, Léon Indenbaum, 1916, Henry and Rose Pearlman Collection on long-term loan to the Princeton University Art Museum
exif: {"Image ImageDescription": "L.1988.62.19", "Image Make": "Hasselblad", "Image Model": "Hasselblad H3D-39", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "300", "Image YResolution": "300", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CS5 Macintosh", "Image DateTime": "2012:02:03 15:41:43", "Image Artist": "Bruce M White", "Image Copyright": "PUAM/Bruce M. White, 2010-2011, Contact the Princeton University Art Museum", "Image ExifOffset": "356", "EXIF ExposureTime": "20", "EXIF FNumber": "456340275/67108864", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Manual", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "50", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0210", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2012:01:18 09:39:40", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2012:01:18 09:39:40", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "2147483647/134217728", "EXIF ApertureValue": "185591895/33554432", "EXIF MeteringMode": "CenterWeightedAverage", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire", "EXIF FocalLength": "100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "1675", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "2000"}