+ Expand
Dimensions: measurements 30 by 25 in. alternate measurements 76.2 by 63.5 cm
+ Expand
Provenance: Nathan P. Cohen, uncle of the artist (acquired directly from the artist, Paris, 1929)
Thence by descent
+ Expand
Notes: PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION, CONNECTICUT
Nathan P. Cohen visited his nephew Falk in his Paris studio on Rue de la Pompé in 1929, at which time he acquired the present work. It has descended in the Cohen family and has not been seen by the public for over seventy-five years.
Falk painted his mother several times in his career, most notably in Double-Portrait of his Parents (1911). The present work was most likely executed in Paris in the late 1920s, after his arrival there. Falk corresponded frequently with his mother Maria Borisovna, describing his love for the city and recounting the trials and tribulations of his daily existence. ``Life here is highly involved,'' he wrote Falk at the beginning of his Parisian sojourn, ``we are meeting people, not your average people, but those who are relevant to my future exhibitions. Critics, friends of critics, dealers. In the mornings I am obligated to show my work and endure the litany of compliments...and of course as always, my irritation flares against this way of life. I want to paint, paint and paint some more.''
