Isaac Minchin grew up in unstable Ukraine at the beginning of the 20th century, experiencing a difficult childhood. At 17, he lived through the Russian Revolution and the war in Ukraine before arriving in France, hoping to enrich his art in Paris. Shy and reserved, he befriended artists like Soutine and Zadkine, but struggled to connect with collectors, often living in poverty.
A traveler, he visited Algeria and Morocco, and his experiences nourished his artistic universe. A poet as much as a painter, he wrote in Yiddish, and his paintings reflected his poems, blending Russian folklore, fables, nostalgia, dreams, and regrets. Inspired by French history and his memories of the Orient, Mintchine was a natural colorist with an innate sense of composition, despite his lack of formal artistic training.
In 1941, he was deported by the Nazis and never returned. Most of his writings were lost during the Occupation, but several of his paintings survived, allowing the artist to gain posthumous recognition for his unique and emotive work.
