LOUIS MARCOUSSIS 1878-1941

Ludwig Casimir Ladislas Markus is a Polish painter who spent most of his lifetime in Paris. Formed at the Fine Arts Academy of Warsaw, he pursued his studies at l'Académie Julian. He settled in Paris in 1903 and first earned money by selling drawings and illustrations.
Used to hanging around the districts of Montparnasse and Montmartre he met various artists amongst which Guillaume Apollinaire whom invented the francized name of Marcoussis. Apart from Apollinaire, the Polish painter also met Braque, Picasso or even Gris who might have been at the origin of Marcoussis's Cubist period. In the 1930's, he mainly realized illustrations and engravings inspired for instance by Apollinaire's Alcool. Throughout his career he took part in various Salons: des Indépendants, d'Automne, des Tuileries... His artworks have been exhibited in prestigious galleries such as Bernheim-Jeune or Jeanne Bucher. A retrospective dedicated to his work has been held at the Musée d'Art Moderne in 1964.