Study for Femme au Chale Polonaise (“Woman in a Polish Shawl”), 1928.

Polish-born Kisling entered the Art Academy of Cracow at the age of 15 where he was exposed to the Impressionist style of painting, which in turn inspired him to study in Paris. In 1910, he settled in Paris where he lived in the celebrated “Bateau-Lavoir” building in Montmartre and befriended Modigliani, Picasso, Braque and Cocteau. During World War I, Kisling fought with the Foreign Legion, and remained in Paris until 1940 when he escaped to the United States. He returned to France in 1946 where he lived until his death. The finished painting for this study resides in the Centre Pompidou, Paris.