Léon Kamir Kauffmann (1972-1933) Portrait Of A Woman Under The Apple Trees

Léon Kaufmann known as Léon KAMIR
(Pawlovo (Poland) 1872 – Louveciennes 1933)
Portrait of a woman under the apple trees
Oil on canvas
H. 145 cm; W. 97 cm
Signed lower left. Located and dated “Paris 1922”

Léon Kaufmann, known as Léon Kamir, was born in 1872 in Pawłowo, Poland, and established himself as one of the sensitive portraitists of his time. After studying in Warsaw and then in Munich with Sándor Hollósy, he moved to Paris and attended the Académie Julian. Having settled permanently in France from 1902, he rented a studio in Louveciennes around 1922 and lived there until his death in 1933. Kamir distinguished himself with refined and expressive portraits, often large-format, produced in a subtle and balanced palette. His models, often elegant women in light-colored dresses, appear in subdued settings where light plays a key role. The painter captures gazes, measured attitudes, and delicate gestures to reveal a certain intimacy in his subjects. His work in pastel and oil paints demonstrates a great mastery of textures—silky fabrics, luminous complexions—and a particular attention to the expressions and psychology of the characters. His works are exhibited in several European cities, from Warsaw to Paris (Musée d'Orsay), via London, Venice, Rome, and Milan, which testifies to the recognition he enjoys in the artistic circles of his time. Among his notable works are portraits of artists and musicians, where the formal pose blends with an almost meditative atmosphere, perfectly illustrating his ability to combine figuration and emotional depth.

The year Kamir painted our portrait, he exhibited in the famous Barbazanges gallery in Paris (open from 1903 to 1928) whose walls were also used by Gauguin, Picasso, Modigliani, Matisse, Chagall, Dufy… This year 1922 which marked his move to Louveciennes marked the creation of two paintings with this background of apple trees. One located “Louveciennes” and ours “Paris”. Should we therefore recognize a garden close to his new studio or suppose an invented composition to place his model there? This model, moreover, is found in a large pastel, dated 1932. Large Degas frame.