Woman reclining on a red divan by Chaïm Soutine
Les Oranges sur fond vert by Chaïm Soutine
The Idiot by Chaïm Soutine
Le vieillard aux mains jointes by Chaïm Soutine
Still Life with Herring by Chaïm Soutine
Young Man Wearing a Small Hat by Chaïm Soutine
Young Woman by Chaïm Soutine
The Cellist (Serevitsch) by Chaïm Soutine
Herrings and a Bottle of Chianti by Chaïm Soutine
Decline by Chaïm Soutine
Vue d'un village, Céret en Roussillon by Chaïm Soutine
Hanging Duck by Chaïm Soutine
1893–1943 · Russian

Chaïm Soutine

Soutine kept a beef carcass hanging in his Paris studio for weeks, painting it obsessively while neighbours called the police about the smell. When the meat decayed beyond use, he had fresh blood delivered to restore its colour. The episode captures something essential about his method: a ferocious physicality that treated paint as matter rather than medium.

Held in 45 museums[8]

Portrait of Chaïm Soutine

Biography

He was born in Smilavichy, in the Russian Empire (now Belarus), in 1893, grew up in a Hasidic Jewish family, studied in Vilna, and arrived in Paris in 1913. His style, writhing forms, thick impasto, colours pushed to the edge of coherence, bridges Expressionism and Abstract Expressionism. Willem de Kooning later cited him as a direct influence.

He lived in poverty and obscurity until the American collector Albert Barnes bought a large group of his paintings in 1923, transforming his circumstances overnight. He died during the German occupation of France in 1943, at fifty, after surgery for a perforated ulcer.

Timeline

  1. 1893Born in Smilavichy, near Minsk, in the Russian Empire (now Belarus), the tenth of eleven children in a poor Jewish family.
  2. 1913At 20, arrived in Paris and settled in La Ruche, a communal artists' studio in Montparnasse. He enrolled at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts under Fernand Cormon.
  3. 1915At 22, met Amedeo Modigliani in Paris through the sculptor Jacques Lipchitz. The two became close friends, and Modigliani painted his portrait several times.
  4. 1919At 26, travelled to Ceret in the French Pyrenees at the urging of dealer Leopold Zborowski. He spent three years there, producing over 200 intensely worked landscapes.
  5. 1923At 30, the American collector Albert Barnes bought around 60 of his paintings in Paris in a single visit, transforming Soutine's fortunes overnight.
  6. 1927At 34, held his first solo exhibition at Galerie Bing in Paris. His reputation as a major Expressionist painter was now firmly established.
  7. 1940At 47, fled Paris as the Nazi occupation began. As a Jewish artist, he spent the remaining years in hiding in the French countryside, moving frequently.
  8. 1943Died of a perforated ulcer at 50 in Paris on 9 August after a desperate 24-hour journey from his hiding place to reach a surgeon. He was buried at Montparnasse Cemetery.

Where to See Chaïm Soutine

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Chaim soutine art style?
    Chaïm Soutine's style of applying paint was quite different from that of Georges Rouault, but his wild, chaotic spirit is similar to the Frenchman. He was considered a Parisian Expressionist and belonged to the "School of Paris".
  • Chaim soutine's painting style is known for which quality?
    Chaïm Soutine's painting style is known for his style of applying thickly encrusted paint. His wild, chaotic spirit is also a notable quality.
  • How did chaim soutine die?
    Chaïm Soutine died in 1943 at the age of 50.
  • What is Chaïm Soutine's most famous work?
    Although Chaïm Soutine produced a varied body of work, he is best known for his series of paintings depicting carcasses of beef. These works, produced primarily in the 1920s, are characterised by thick impasto and intense colour. Soutine's interest in the subject matter stemmed from his time working as a bellhop in a Parisian hotel. There, he witnessed the delivery of animal carcasses to the kitchen. He was also inspired by Rembrandt's 1655 painting *Slaughtered Ox*, which he saw at the Louvre. One of Soutine's most recognised carcass paintings is simply titled *Carcass of Beef*. He painted several versions of this subject between 1924 and 1927. These paintings often feature a flayed animal carcass hanging in a butcher's shop. The raw meat is rendered in shades of red, white, and blue. The paintings are often interpreted as memento mori, meditations on mortality, and the ephemeral nature of life. They also reflect Soutine's interest in capturing the visceral reality of the world around him.
  • What should I know about Chaïm Soutine's prints?
    While Chaïm Soutine is better known for his paintings, prints offer another avenue to explore his artistic vision. Printmaking has a long history, dating back to ancient Egypt and China, but it was not until the late 19th century that prints began to be considered a major artistic medium. Artists started signing their prints, differentiating original graphics from reproductions. They also began limiting edition sizes and numbering them, influencing the price and preventing excessive use of the plate or stone. Prints allowed artists to reach a wider audience due to their greater production quantities and lower cost. Dealers like Julius Meier-Graefe, Ambroise Vollard, and Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler recognised the value of prints and encouraged painters and sculptors to create them. When examining a print, look for the edition claim (written as a pair of numbers), the title in the centre, and the signature on the right. These details, typically in pencil, can provide information about the print's authenticity and place within the edition.
  • What style or movement did Chaïm Soutine belong to?
    Chaïm Soutine (born 1893 or 1894, died 1943) was associated with Expressionism and the School of Paris. Arriving in Paris from Lithuania around 1913, Soutine developed a unique style, characterised by thick paint application and distorted forms. His art has been described as sorrowful and vehement, with a wild, chaotic spirit. Although he engaged with the work of Old Masters like Rembrandt, Chardin, and Courbet, Soutine’s style moved toward abstraction, using shape, colour, and texture to express an emotional response to the world. His paintings often depict landscapes, portraits, and still lifes. Soutine’s landscapes, especially those painted between 1919 and 1922, possess a violent power. Rather than rational arrangements, works such as *Hill at Ceret* (circa 1920-21) present passionate, individual responses to nature, with which the artist seems to identify. His portraits are less about psychological analysis than about creating new, emotionally charged figures. Soutine's turbulent style anticipated artists such as Willem de Kooning.
  • What techniques or materials did Chaïm Soutine use?
    Chaïm Soutine, a Russian-born artist of Belarusian Jewish origin (1893-1943), moved to Paris in 1913 and became part of the "School of Paris". He is associated with expressionism, although his style was unique. Soutine's approach involved a thickly encrusted application of paint. His art was less about representation and more concerned with shape, colour, and texture. He aimed to expand the formal and emotional possibilities within painting. His works often feature extreme deformations and multiple, bright colour schemes. Soutine had a fascination with the substance of flesh, whether human or animal. This is evident in his portraits, often of uniformed figures like valets and pastry cooks, and his still lifes, which frequently depict dead animals. In his still lifes, he studied and painted the inner substance of the animal flesh with great care. Between 1919 and 1922, Soutine painted with a violent and cataclysmic power, conveying a sense of constant change.
  • What was Chaïm Soutine known for?
    Chaïm Soutine (1893-1943) was a Russian-born painter of Belarusian Jewish origin. He is known for his contribution to the Expressionist movement while he was living in Paris. Soutine was inspired by classic European painting, particularly the works of Rembrandt, Chardin, and Courbet. Soutine developed a personal style that prioritised shape, colour, and texture over strict representation. Some consider him a bridge between traditional approaches and Abstract Expressionism. His paintings cross categories including portraits, still lifes, and landscapes. Between 1919 and 1922, Soutine painted in Céret, France, where he developed his style. His landscapes from this period possess a violent, cataclysmic quality. Rather than arranging nature, Soutine responded to its dynamic processes, identifying with trees, rocks, and other natural elements. Soutine's portraits are considered significant, though less concerned with psychological analysis than some others. Soutine attempted to create new living creatures, often demoniac and anguished, while maintaining a likeness to the model. He also painted still lifes, often depicting dead animals. Soutine was fascinated by the substance of flesh, whether animal or human.
  • When did Chaïm Soutine live and work?
    Chaïm Soutine was born in 1893 and died in 1943. He was born in what is now Belarus, then part of Lithuania. Soutine moved to Paris in 1913, where he became part of the "School of Paris". He is considered an Expressionist painter. His associates included Amedeo Modigliani, who painted Soutine's portrait in 1917. Léopold Zborowski, their art dealer, supported Soutine during World War I, taking him to Nice to avoid the German invasion. From 1919 to 1922, Soutine worked in Céret, in the French Pyrenees; his style developed there. He lived in Cagnes, then returned to Paris, where he worked until 1940. As a Jew, Soutine fled Paris during the German Occupation in the Second World War. Soutine is known for his portraits and still lifes. His portraits from the 1920s often depict uniformed figures, such as valets, pastry cooks, and choirboys. Between 1927 and 1920, Soutine painted pictures of choirboys, restaurant staff, and hotel porters. His still lifes often feature animal flesh.
  • When was chaim soutine born?
    Chaïm Soutine was born in 1893 in Russia. Chaïm Soutine died in 1943, aged 50.
  • Where can I see Chaïm Soutine's work?
    Chaïm Soutine's works can be found in numerous museums and collections across Europe. In France, several Parisian museums hold his paintings, including the Musée d’Orsay, Musée du Louvre, Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, and Musée de l’Orangerie which possesses The Little Pastry Cook. Other French museums with Soutine's works include the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Nantes, and the Musée National Fernand Léger in Biot. Outside France, Soutine's art can be viewed at the Kunstmuseum in Basle and the Kunstmuseum in Berne. Other Swiss locations include the Gottfried Keller Stiftung, the Staechelin Foundation, the Kunstmuseum in Winterthur, and the Kunsthaus in Zurich. There are also several private collections that sometimes loan his works to public exhibitions, such as the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection and the Josefowitz Collection. These collections may not always be accessible, so it is advisable to check museum websites for current exhibitions.
  • Where was Chaïm Soutine from?
    Chaïm Soutine was born in 1893 in Smilovitchi, Lithuania (now part of Belarus). He is considered a Russian painter of Belarusian Jewish origin. In 1913, Soutine moved to Paris, where he became part of the "School of Paris", a community of artists working in the Expressionist style. His paintings from this period display a unique style, characterised by thickly applied paint and distorted forms. While in Paris, Soutine befriended Amedeo Modigliani, who painted Soutine's portrait in 1917. Léopold Zborowski, an art dealer, supported Soutine during World War I and took him to Nice to avoid the German invasion. Soutine spent three years in Ceret, in the French Pyrenees, beginning in 1919. He developed an original style there. After 1922, he lived in Cagnes and then returned to Paris, where he worked until 1940. As a Jew, Soutine fled Paris during the German Occupation and died in 1943.

Sources

Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Chaïm Soutine.

  1. [1] academic Chaim Soutine | Expressionist, Painter, Paris Used for: biography.
  2. [2] book Amedeo Modigliani, Delphi Complete Paintings of Amedeo Modigliani (Illustrated) (Delphi Masters of Art Book 27) Used for: biography.
  3. [3] book guggenheim-vangoghexpressio00gogh Used for: biography.
  4. [4] book Masterpieces of western art : a history of art in 900 individual studies from the Gothic to the present day Used for: biography.
  5. [5] museum Chaïm Soutine - Centre Pompidou Used for: biography.
  6. [6] museum Chaïm Soutine | MoMA Used for: biography.
  7. [7] museum Chaim Soutine | National Gallery of Art Used for: biography.
  8. [8] museum Chaim Soutine - View of Cagnes - The Metropolitan Museum of Art Used for: museum holdings.

Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-06-21. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.

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