Sacha Moldovan (1901-1982)
Born in Russia, Sacha Moldovan moved with his family to New York in 1915. He attended the National Academy of Art & Design in New York. In 1919 he moved to Paris and studied at the prestigious “Academy Julian.” He met Henri Matisse in 1922 and studied and worked in his atelier. The following year he met and became a close friend of Chaim Soutine.
Working with Matisse and Soutine was a great inspiration for Moldovan, but he did not copy the work of either great artist. Rather, Sacha adopted his own unique identity and powerful style. His first art exhibition was at the “Salon d’Automne” in Paris, 1927. His striking paintings were shown with works by Matisse, Chagall and Vlaminck. In 1929, he had his first one-man exhibition at the noted “Gallery Carmine” in Paris. From 1933 until 1970, his art has been shown in one-man exhibitions in the most prestigious galleries in Paris, New York, San Francisco and major cities throughout the world.
Like Van Gogh, Moldovan was erratic in his behavior. His last exhibition was in 1970. A few years later he was committed to an institution where he spent the remainder of his life.