César - Original Lithograph 1961

César - Original Lithograph 1961 Dimensions: 32 x 24 cm XXe siècle César Baldaccini was born in Marseille in 1921. At the age of 12, he left the school to help his father, cooper. At 15 years old, he studied at the Art college of Marseille. He took evening drawing teachings, and then was interested in sculpture until 1939. In 1942, César received a scholarship and went to Paris. He studied ten years at the School of Beaux-Arts; he worked in the studios of Gaumont and Alfred Jeanniot and was named “Grand Massier” (teacher) of this school. At that time, he was living in the same house as Alberto Giacometti. In 1944, short of resources, he went to Marseille, then return to Paris, next year. With the 50s, he made discovered his work through his first exhibitions. One of its works (« The fish ») obtained a place in the Museum of Modern Art in Paris (1955). Henceforth, he exhibited ceaselessly, participating in numerous “Salons” in France and abroad. César received numerous prices there. He got personal exhibitions everywhere (Japan, the United States, Holland, France, Italy, etc.). Important retrospectives came, later. In 1970, he was named professor a foreman to the School of Beaux-Arts in Paris. During his all life, Caesar was stimulated by « the love of the profession » and by an extraordinary will to innovate. The humor of the man did not miss and was noticed through his work. Pablo Picasso was his major reference, also Alberto Giacometti, Germaine Richier, Pablo Gargallo and Julio Gonzales. He got the maturity of his style and met the social consecration at the end of the 50s. The famous compressions, belonging by some to the dada movement, is born in 1960; they will make scandals. The huge imprints (thumb, breast, etc.), the use of the polyurethane, the Expansions, and then came the spectacles of his art that he liked to show. César died in Paris in 1998.