The Prince of Montparnasse

Jules Pascin, whose birth name was Julius Mordecai Pincas, was born in Vidin, Bulgaria. He spent a large part of his life as a globetrotter in various major cities in Europe and the United States. Paris, where he lived from December 1905, would be his main place of residence for many years. There, he joined the international group of artists at the Café du Dôme. On the advice of the poet and writer Guillaume Apollinaire, he changed his name from "Pincas" to "Pascin" there. The artist, who always wore a bowler hat and was known for his life of intense partying in the artistic bohemian circles, earned the nicknamed the "Prince of Montparnasse". Pascin is particularly known for his portraits, in which he captured the loneliness and vulnerability of his subjects. His pictures of women, often depicted in intimate moments, look confident. At the same time, this is a criticism of the public shift regarding female nudes at the time and the associated prudishness of society.