Idel IANCHELEVICI (1909-1994) - Lot 213

Idel IANCHELEVICI (1909-1994) Seated man Pencil on paper Signed "Ianchelevici" lower left 34 x 26 cm Framed (Some brown spots) THIS LOT WILL BE CONSIGNED TO DROUOT'S STORE AFTER THE SALE, IT WILL NOT BE RETURNED. Please refer to the conditions of the auction house concerning the withdrawal of lots before bidding. NOTICE Idel Ianchelevici was born in Moldavia to an Ashkenazi Jewish family, and moved to Belgium in 1928 to devote himself to sculpture and drawing. He studied at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Liège, where he won first prize in statuary in 1933, before moving to Brussels and taking part in various exhibitions in Belgium and abroad. During the Second World War, he took refuge in a children's home called La Clé des Champs in Maransart, enabling him to continue his artistic work while escaping persecution. After the war, he obtained Belgian nationality and moved to Maisons-Laffitte in France, where he lived until his death on June 26, 1994. A sculptor and draughtsman, Ianchelevici's work is characterized by a refined realism and a powerful expressiveness in the treatment of the human body. His sculptures, often monumental, feature stylized bodies and simplified volumes that seem to emerge from the material. His themes oscillate between social and political concerns, representations of struggle and memory, and a formal ideal celebrating human dignity. His major works include L'Appel (1939) in La Louvière, Le Plongeur for the Liège International Exhibition (1939) and Monument au Prisonnier Politique (1954). Idel Ianchelevici's drawings also occupy an essential place in his work, revealing the sensitivity and rigor that also characterize his sculpture. With pure, precise lines that are generally devoid of effect, the artist strives above all to capture the inner momentum of bodies, their tension and expressiveness. Whether heroic figures, portraits or more intimate studies, his drawings reflect a constant quest for balance and restrained strength, testifying to his concern for human truth and his acute sense of volume. His legacy is preserved mainly at the Musée Ianchelevici in La Louvière, which houses over 200 sculptures and 2,000 drawings, as well as in various public and private collections across Europe. Ianchelevici embodies a cultural bridge between Eastern and Western Europe, blending heritage and modernity. His work expresses a profound commitment to humanity and memory, while affirming a plastic quest in which monumental power and formal purity combine to express strength and emotion.