Léon Kamir Kauffmann (1872–1933) – Portrait of a Woman under the Apple Trees

Léon Kaufmann, known as Léon KAMIR (Pawlovo, Poland 1872 – Louveciennes 1933)
Portrait of a Woman under the Apple Trees
Oil on canvas
H. 145 cm; W. 97 cm
Signed lower left, inscribed and dated “Paris 1922”

Léon Kaufmann, known as Léon Kamir, was born in 1872 in Paw?owo, Poland, and established himself as one of the most sensitive portraitists of his time. After studying in Warsaw and then in Munich under Sándor Hollósy, he moved to Paris, where he attended the Académie Julian. From 1902 onwards he settled permanently in France, renting a studio in Louveciennes around 1922, where he lived until his death in 1933.

Kamir distinguished himself through refined and expressive portraits, often on a grand scale, painted with a subtle and balanced palette. His sitters, frequently elegant women in light-coloured dresses, appear in intimate, hushed settings where light plays a central role. He captured gazes, measured attitudes and delicate gestures to reveal an inner intimacy. Whether working in pastel or oil, Kamir demonstrated remarkable mastery of textures—silken fabrics, luminous flesh tones—and a particular sensitivity to expression and psychology.

His works were exhibited in numerous European cities, from Warsaw to Paris (Musée d’Orsay) as well as London, Venice, Rome and Milan, testimony to the recognition he received within artistic circles of his day. Among his major works are portraits of artists and musicians, where formal poses blend with a meditative atmosphere, perfectly illustrating his ability to unite figuration with emotional depth.

The year 1922, in which our portrait was painted, marks both his settlement in Louveciennes and his exhibition at the renowned Galerie Barbazanges in Paris (1903–1928), a gallery which also hosted Gauguin, Picasso, Modigliani, Matisse, Chagall, and Dufy.

That same year, Kamir painted two portraits with a background of apple trees—one inscribed “Louveciennes” and ours “Paris.” Should these be seen as depictions of gardens near his new studio, or rather as composed settings designed to frame his model? This sitter also reappears in a large pastel dated 1932.

Large Degas frame.