Between Chortkiv and Paris. Sasza Blonder / André Blondel 1909-1949

Natasza Styrna

Titles

Abstract

The painter Sasza Blonder (1909-1949) was born into a tradition-observing Jewish family in Chortkiv in Podolia. In the 1930s he belonged to the avant-garde Grupa Krakowska, whose members were Poles and Jews of radical left views. His works of that period included both abstract and figurative compositions. He was the only artist in the group interested in subjects taken from Jewish life, examples of which can be found in his sketchbooks. In 1937 Blonder moved to Paris. During the war he hid in the south of France under the false name André Blondel. His memoirs written at this time testify to Blonder’s strong links with the Jewish milieu. His death at the early age of 40 interrupted the career of this interesting and talented artist.

Keywords

Sasza Blonder, André Blondel, art, avant-garde, Jews, Grupa Krakowska, Kraków

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY

a) Primary sources

Sasza Blonder’s Archives 1929-1937, Special Collection of Instytut Sztuki Polskiej Akademii Nauk [Department of Arts of Polish Academy of Sciences], Ref. no. 773-II-16.

Sasza Blonder’s memoirs 1936-1943, in the possession of the artist’s family.

Tanya Warner’s letter of February 1998, in the possession of the artist’s family.

b) Secondary literature

Filipowicz, K. (1958), Sasza Blonder 1909-1949, Plastyka 23 (6.08.1958), 8 [supplement to Życie Literackie].

Guzek, Ł. (1992), Rozmowa Łukasza Guzka z Erną Rosenstein [An interview with Erna Rosenstein by Łukasz Guzek], in: J. Chrobak (ed.), Erna Rosenstein, Kraków: pp. 3-37.

Niezabitowska, M., Tomaszewski, T. (1993), Ostatni. Współcześni Żydzi Polscy [The Last Ones. Contemporary Polish Jews], Warszawa.

Potocka, A.M. (1988), Ostatni wywiad z Jonaszem Sternem, przeprowadziła Anna Maria Potocka [The last interview with Jonasz Stern, by Anna Maria Potocka], Odra 11: pp. 30-41.

Stern, J. (1964), Grupa Krakowska [Cracow Group], in: J. Stern, Cyganeria i polityka. Wspomnienia krakowskie 1919–1939 [Bohema and Politics. Cracow Reminiscences 1919-1939], Warszawa: pp. 227-238.

Styrna, N. (2005), Żydowscy studenci krakowskiej Akademii Sztuk Pięknych [Jewish Students of the Academy of Fine Arts], in: M. Poprzęcka (ed.), Polskie szkolnictwo artystyczne. Dzieje, teoria, praktyka [Polish Schools of Art. History, Theory and Praxis]. Materiały LIII ogólnopolskiej sesji naukowej Stowarzyszenia Historyków Sztuki, Warszawa, 14-16 października 2004, Warszawa: pp. 133-144.

Suchan, J. (2010), Polak, Żyd, artysta. Tożsamość a awangarda [A Pole, a Jew, an Artist. Identity and Avant-Garde], in: J. Suchan (ed.), Polak, Żyd, artysta. Tożsamość a awangarda, Łódź.

Ślesiński, W. (1969), Studenci [Students], in: J.E. Dutkiewicz, J. Jeleniewska-Ślesińska, W. Ślesiński (eds.), Materiały do dziejów Akademii Sztuk Pięknych w Krakowie [Materials for the History of the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow], vol. 2: 1895-1939, Wrocław – Warszawa – Kraków: pp. 203-444.

Tchórzewski, K. (1973), Życie i twórczość Saszy Blondera (André Blondela) 1909–1949. Zarys monograficzny [Life and Art of Sasza Blonde (André Blondel) 1909-1949. A Monograph], MA thesis written in 1973 during Modern Art Seminar [Warsaw University] under the supervision of A. Jakimowicz. (The quoted fragment published in Henryk Wiciński i I Grupa Krakowska 1932–1937 [Henryk Wiciński and I Grupa Krakowska 1932-1937], catalogue, Sopot 2007, p. 86).

Information

Information: Scripta Judaica Cracoviensia, 2015, Volume 13, pp. 143-154

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4467/20843925SJ.15.011.4233

Article type: Original article

Titles:

Polish:

Between Chortkiv and Paris. Sasza Blonder / André Blondel 1909-1949

English:

Between Chortkiv and Paris. Sasza Blonder / André Blondel 1909-1949

Authors

Natasza Styrna

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8368-5863

The Pontifical University of John Paul II, Kanonicza 9, 31-002 Kraków, Poland

Published at: 25.02.2016

Article status: Open

Licence: None

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Natasza Styrna (Author) - 100%

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