FEDER Adolphe (Aizik)

July 16, 1886 (Odessa) — after December 1943 (Auschwitz, Poland)

Painter, graphic artist

Adolphe Feder was born to a Jewish family, which was engaged in commerce. Since 1896 Feder studied at Odessa drawing school, later — at Odessa Art School. In 1905 he became a member of the left Socialist Party Bund (The General Jewish Labour Bund of Lithuania, Poland and Russia). In 1906 he was obliged to leave Russia because of the political persecution by the members of the Party. For some time Feder lived in Berlin; in 1908 he moved to Geneva, where he attended the art school and worked at the circle for the political immigrants.

In 1910 Feder settled in Paris. He continued his education in the Academy of R. Julien and the studio of H. Matisse. Feder painted the portraits, still lifes, genre scenes, landscapes of the south of France. Since 1910 he exposed his works at the Salon of Independents (be became a member of the Salon in 1912), the Autumn Salon, the Salon Tuillerie, the exhibition of the National Society of Fine Arts. In 1920s Feder collaborated with the left Paris magazine Clarté and newspaper Le Monde, with the Russian magazine about art and literature Udar (“Beat”).

In 1924 Feder took part in the expedition to Palestine, organized by the publisher A. E. Kogan. In mid 1920s Feder obtained the recognition. His works were published in many European and American magazines. Feder’s personal exhibitions were held in Paris galleries Barbazange, Dominique (1923), Drouet (1925, 1928, 1934), Granoff (1926), L’Art Moderne (1928), Ivango (1930), Druon (1930, 1938), Bernheim (1937). Feder also exposed his works at many group exhibitions in Paris, at the exhibition of ten Paris painters in New York (1922), the exhibition The Modern French Art in Moscow (1928). In 1931 he designed the pavilion of Madagascar at the Colonial exhibition in Paris.

Besides the painter’s fame, Feder was also known for his passion to the African art; in particular he collected the African sculpture.

During World War II, Feder lived in Paris, participated in the French Resistence movement. In June 1942 he was arrested and put into the Cherche-Midi prison. In September of the same year he was transferred into the Drancy deportation camp. There he continued to paint; he created a series of portraits of the prisoners. In December 1943 he was deported to Auschwitz.

Works by Adolphe Feder are in many museum and private collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, Brussels, Grenoble and others.