Moise Kisling, 1891-1953

Every musem has at least one special painting. This is even true at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, which is a better collection than you would expect, despite having marred its lovely foyer and half of one floor by filling them with the treacly works of the Thomas Kincade of glass, Dale Chihuly. I was stopped by a painting in the20th  European collection, Red Roofs (no image available) by a painter I had never heard of, Moise Kisling. He was born in Krakow, moved to,and fought for France in WWI, and did his best work in the Montparnasse district of Paris alongside Modigliani (whose portrait of Kisling is one of the easier works to find). The more I found, the more impressed I was, and the more surprised that Kisling has remained under-recognized. 

Here are a couple of paintings I was able to find. I detect distinct tones of another personal favorite, Remedios Varo. More Kisling works here. 

Portrait of Rosine Fels

Portrait of Jean Cocteau