Marek Szwarc was born in Zgierz, Poland on May 9, 1892 and died in Paris, France on December 28, 1958. From 1910 to 1914 he lived and studied art at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris.

During the early years he boarded at la Ruche together with Soutine, Marc Chagall, and Kremegne, and together with Tchaikov and Lichtenstein inaugurated the first Jewish art journal Makhmadim (Precious Ones). In 1913 he exhibited his first sculpture, Eve, in the Salon d'Automne.

During the First World War Szwarc returned to Poland. In 1919 he met and married his wife, Guina, a writer, and together they returned to Paris after the war. Until the Second World War, Szwarc lived in Paris and his paintings and sculptures were bought by collectors in Germany, Poland, the United States, and by several museums. It was during this period between the wars that he produced some of his most outstanding and original work in hammered copper, exhibited in the Salon des Tuileries and the subject of a monograph by Louis Vauxcelles.

Szwarc's work, broadly identified in style with the Ecole de Paris, was frequently but not exclusively concerned with biblical themes from the Old and New Testament. The latter motifs coming into play after his conversion to Catholicism in 1919. His identity as a Jew, however, never wavered, as is evidenced in his article, The National Element in Jewish Art, published in a Yiddish literary journal in Warsaw in 1925.

He exhibited in Sweden, Austria, France, Canada, Belgium, Poland, and several sculptures were bought by the French government.

When Poland fell in 1939, Szwarc volunteered for the Polish army in exile and after the occupation of France he escaped with the Polish army to Scotland, while his family fled via Lisbon to England. It was during this period (1940-1943) that he drew a series of pen and ink drawings depicting the daily life of his fellow soldiers.

After the war he returned to Paris with his wife and daughter, Tereska Torres who had served in the Free French Forces of General Charles de Gaulle in London. She published two books dealing in large part with the life of her father. After the war Marek Szwarc devoted most of his time to sculpting in stone and wood and casting in bronze. Some of these works have been donated to the Musee d'art et d'Histoire du Judaisme in Paris. Other works from this period can still be seen in his atelier in Paris.

The artist's works are on display in museums, public halls, places of worship, and private collections in Poland, Israel, Montreal, Caracas, the United States, and England.

Marek Szwarc died suddenly at the age of 66. His wife, Guina died in Paris in 1973. Today he is survived by his daughter and grandchildren.



1913      First group show in Paris at the Salon d'automne; exhibits a sculpture "Eve."


1914      Exhibits in a group show at the Salon des Tuileries.


1925      Exhibits paintings and bas-reliefs at Gallery Devambez, Paris.


            Writes a monograph in Yidn Knister on the work of Amadeo Modigliani.

1926      Exhibits in Berlin at Fritz Gurlitz Gallery, in New York at the New Art CircleGallery. Also exhibits in Cologne.

            Paints an oil portrait of Zamaron.

1927      Designs a theater curtain for the Jewish Art theater, New York.


Exhibits hammered copper bas-reliefs and paintings at Galerie Brian Robert, Paris.


Several paintings and bas-reliefs are purchased by the French art collector Zamaron.


Copper mask purchased by the Musée du Luxembourg, Paris. (Now at the French Consulate in Jerusalem.)


Exhibits in Frankfurt and at Galerie Polonia, Warsaw. The National museum (Krakow) purchases his works.


Exhibits at Gallery Lilla, Stockholm.


The National University in Jerusalem purchases a portrait in copper of the poet André Spire.

1928      Exhibits in Zurich, at Gallery Zlota in Lodz, and at Zwionzek Art Polski in Krakow.

1929      Exhibits at Gallery Zlota in Lodz, and at Zwionzek Art Polski in Cracow.                            

            The Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati purchases a copper bas relief "Two Musicians".

1934      Exhibits his two "Walks of the Cross," purchased by the Saint John Church and the Holy Rosary Church in Toronto, at Galerie Lucy Krogh, Paris.

1935      The convent of the Carmes, Antwerp, purchases the stone sculpture "Prophete Elie".

1936      The terra cotta "Madonna" is purchased by The Friends of Old Paris and placed in the Marais neighborhood of Paris.


Exhibits in the Salon d'art sacré, Paris.

1937      Exhibits at the Universal Fair, Paris                 

            Exhibits in the Salon d'art sacré, Paris.

            Paints on commission a portrait in oil of the Maharaja of Baroda (India).

1938      Exhibits in the Salon d'art sacré, Paris.

1939      Exhibits 12 bas-reliefs made for La Societé des Nations at the Universal Fair in New York.

1942      The Polish government in exile (London) purchases the tapestry "Ruth et Boaz" as a gift to General de Gaulle.

1942-43  Makes 35 drawings of Polish soldiers and officers in the Polish army in Scotland. (Now in the collection of the Yivo Institute in New York.) Also executes two busts for the Saltire Society.

1944      Exhibits at the Royal Academy, at the London Group, and at the Leicester Gallery, London.

1946      His stone sculpture "Creation" is purchased by the Polish Government as a gift to the French Union C.G.T. It is placed in the park of the Manoir de Courcelles.

1947      The Belgian government purchases his stone sculpture "Head of Dominique".

            Exhibits the bronze sculpture "King David" at the Sculpture Biannual in Antwerp/

1951      The French Institute in London purchases the wood sculpture "Resistance".

1953      The Dominican Convent in Oslo purchases the sculpture "Saint Dominique".

1954      The Museum of Modern Art, Paris, purchases a bust in wood (Now at the French Consulate in Jerusalem.)

1955      Exhibits 26 sculptures, 20 small bronzes, plus drawings and lithographs at the French Institute in London.

            Exhibits at The Gallery, Chicago and in New Paltz.

1956      Exhibits at the Brackpot gallery, Antwerp.

1957      Exhibits at the Salon d'art sacré," Paris.

Exhibits at Au Cheval de Verre, Antwerp.
 

1958      Marek Szwarc dies suddenly in Paris at the age of 66.

The French government purchases his last work, the wood sculpture
"Libera me".
The Vatican Museum purchases the wood sculpture "Voice in the Desert".