Marcel Vertès 1895-1961

Marcel Vertès, painter, printmaker and illustrator of Jewish descent, was born in Hungary and began his career as a poster designer in Vienna before settling in Paris in 1925. He established his reputation with a book of drawings, Dancings (1926). Living and working in the Latin Quarter, Vertès’ work concentrated upon scenes of Paris street life, portrayals of women and depictions of circus and cabaret acts. Like many other artists, the devastation of the Second World War forced him to move to the United States. Settling in New York, Vertès continued to work , most particularly in the field of book illustration. Ten years later, he returned to Paris and spent the remaining years of his life there.