Searching for Soutine: The Man amongst the Myths
Online Event in English
November 3, 2026, 6 - 7 pm CET (Paris time) / 12 - 1 pm EST (NYC time)
November 3, 2026, 6 - 7 pm CET (Paris time) / 12 - 1 pm EST (NYC time)
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Take a virtual trip to Paris and join art historian Dr Louise Franklin for a free online talk that explores life and work of Chaïm Soutine - one of the most prominent residents of the cosmopolitan artistic community of Cité Falguière.
Free and open to all. The online meeting link will be shared with registered participants the week of the talk.
In this talk Louise will discuss and debunk just a few of the most persistent myths about the Jewish émigré artist, Chaïm Soutine (1893-1943), which she identifies and interrogates in her new book, Reframing Chaïm Soutine. The Life and International Legacy of a Parisian Painter (Bloomsbury Visual Arts). By examining some of the earliest biographies of the artist, Louise reveals the vested interests, factual inaccuracies and bigotry that lay concealed within their versions of Soutine’s life story and reveals how a historiographic echo-chamber has since limited discussions of the artist’s life and work. Further, by introducing new and overlooked primary and secondary sources, Louise reveals a Soutine who is an educated, intelligent and sensitive man, a kind friend and highly-influential artist, whose paintings rightly stand amongst the greatest artworks of the twentieth century. |
Atelier 11 by Chaïm Soutine,
L’Atelier de l’artiste à la Cité Falguière, 1915-1916, private collection |
About Dr Louise Franklin
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Louise Franklin is an art historian, author and scholar of the life, work and legacy of the École de Paris artist, Chaïm Soutine (1893-1943).
Born and raised in Wales, Louise’s first degree was in German, which she studied at the University of Bristol, England and in Hanover, Germany, before moving on to the study of Art History: first completing an M.Phil. on German medieval ecclesiastical art and architecture (with a focus on the Church of St. Sebald in Nuremberg, Bavaria); followed by a doctorate which examined the receptions, historiographic constructions and international significance of Soutine. Upon completing her Ph.D. in 2010, she worked as an academic, lecturer and programme leader in Art History, before leaving academia in 2025 to focus on her research. |
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Image: Dr Louise Franklin at Atelier 11 during her residency with L’AiR Arts, where she focused on the role played by the atelier in the lifeworld of the artist by recording the embodied experience of extended dwelling-in-place.
Join the Cité Falguière global community of supporters
Constructed in 1875, the Cité Falguière ateliers located in Montparnasse were home to numerous international artists whose creativity flourished long before they became famous. From the stylized sculptures of Amedeo Modigliani to the expressionist paintings of Chaïm Soutine, art produced by residents of Cité Falguière captured the creative energy of the Parisian avant-garde, also known as the École de Paris or the School of Paris.
Although urbanization efforts resulted in the destruction of many historic Montparnasse ateliers, efforts are currently underway to restore the last surviving studio of Cité Falguière - Atelier 11. Thankfully, the legacy of this creative community continues today due to the efforts of L’AiR Arts, a non-for-profit organization that runs a contemporary art residency program inside this 150-year old atelier. Recently recognized as a heritage site, Atelier 11 is scheduled to undergo rehabilitation to continue welcoming artists and cultural professionals as an International Arts Research Residency.
Everyone is encouraged to participate in this living heritage project by donating online in support of its historical, architectural and/or artistic aspects. Cultural and academic institutions worldwide are invited to partner and create art residency for their candidates. This collective effort will safeguard the artistic heritage of Atelier 11 and foster the open and inclusive legacy of the École de Paris.
Although urbanization efforts resulted in the destruction of many historic Montparnasse ateliers, efforts are currently underway to restore the last surviving studio of Cité Falguière - Atelier 11. Thankfully, the legacy of this creative community continues today due to the efforts of L’AiR Arts, a non-for-profit organization that runs a contemporary art residency program inside this 150-year old atelier. Recently recognized as a heritage site, Atelier 11 is scheduled to undergo rehabilitation to continue welcoming artists and cultural professionals as an International Arts Research Residency.
Everyone is encouraged to participate in this living heritage project by donating online in support of its historical, architectural and/or artistic aspects. Cultural and academic institutions worldwide are invited to partner and create art residency for their candidates. This collective effort will safeguard the artistic heritage of Atelier 11 and foster the open and inclusive legacy of the École de Paris.
