Rudolf Levy

15.07.1875 Stettin - 02.12.1943 Italien

Alfred Flechtheim and Rudolf Levy

Rudolf Levy came from a Jewish Orthodox family from Silesia. In 1903 he went to Paris and, together with Hans Purrmann and Walter Bondy, co-founded the circle of German-speaking artists at the Café du Dôme. He attended the Académie Matisse in Paris from 1908–12. He took part in the first exhibition of ‘Das junge Rheinland’ group in 1919. He had a solo exhibition with 25 works at the Galerie Flechtheim in June 1922. Levy spent 1924–26 once again in Paris where he became an important representative of Flechtheim’s, establishing contact to artists and exhibition organisers. At the same time, Levy exhibited at the Berlin Secession in 1921 and was a member of its board and jury from 1928 onwards. Throughout his life Levy took a close interest in the work of Matisse, Impressionism and Cézanne. As a result, he developed his very own style somewhere between Expressionism and Realism.

Due to his Jewish heritage Levy was forced to emigrate on 1 April 1933. In 1940 he settled in Florence. When Germany occupied Florence in autumn 1943 he was warned by friends and managed to go into hiding. However, the SS set a trap and Levy was arrrested in December 1943. It is presumed that he died while being taken to Auschwitz in January 1944.

Alfred Flechtheim included works by Levy in his inaugural exhibition in Düsseldorf in 1913. Shortly afterwards they signed a contract and Flechtheim became Levy’s sole dealer. He later paid him a fixed amount every month. The good relationship between Rudolf Levy and Alfred Flechtheim lasted a lifetime. Flechtheim also privately owned at least four works by Levy. His work was mentioned and described several times in ‘Der Querschnitt’ and a volume of poems by Levy entitled 'Die Lieder des alten Morelli' was published by the Galerie Flechtheim in 1922.

Individual exhibitons at the Galerie Flechtheim

Juni 1922

Rudolf Levy
Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main (Königsallee, Gärtnerweg)

1925

Rudolf Levy
Berlin, Düsseldorf (Lützowufer, Königsallee)

1926

Rudolf Levy
Berlin, Lützowufer 13

Group exhibitions at the Galerie Flechtheim

Dezember 1913

Beiträge zur Kunst des XIX. Jahrhunderts und unserer Zeit. Zusammengestellt von Dr.Paul Mahlberg. Herausgegeben anläßlich ihrer Eröffnung von der Galerie Alfred Flechtheim, GmbH
Düsseldorf, Alleestraße 7

Mai–Oktober 1914

Deutsche Werkbundausstellung. Leihgaben der Galerie Alfred Flechtheim
Köln / Düsseldorf, Alleestraße 7

Juni–Juli 1914

Der «Dôme»
Düsseldorf, Alleestraße 7

Juni 1917

Galerie Alfred Flechtheim. Moderne Gemälde. Auktion durch Paul Cassirer und Hugo Helbing in den Versteigerungsräumen
Berlin, Kurfürstendamm 208-209

Juli–August 1919

Auf dem Wege zur Kunst unserer Zeit. Vorkriegsbilder und Bildwerke
Düsseldorf, Königsallee 34

Juli–September 1920

Sommer 1920. Ostasiatische Gemälde. Künstler vom Niederrhein, aus Westfalen und Frankreich
Düsseldorf, Königsallee 34

Oktober 1921

Eröffnungsausstellung: Deutsche und französische Kunst aus des XX. Jahrhunderts Beginn
Berlin, Lützowufer 13

November–Dezember 1924

O.T.
Düsseldorf, Königsallee 34

Dezember 1924

Stilleben
Düsseldorf, Königsallee 34

Sommer 1925

Sommer 1925
Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, (Lützowufer, Königsallee, Oberlindau 1)

Juni–August 1927

Das Problem der Generation. Die um 1880 geborenen Meister von heute Erster Teil: Die Deutschen
Berlin, Lützowufer 13

Sommer 1929

Sommer 1929: Rudolf Grossmann und andere
Berlin, Düsseldorf, (Lützowufer, Königsallee)

September–Oktober 1928

Lebende ausländische Kunst. Aus rheinischem Privatbesitz
Düsseldorf, Königsallee 34

November–Dezember 1930

Seit Liebermann in Deutschland. Aquarelle, Zeichnungen, Graphik
Düsseldorf, Königsallee 34

Dezember 1932 – Januar 1933

Lebendige deutsche Kunst. Ausstellungsfolge in drei Abteilungen. Veranstaltet von Paul Cassirer und Alfred Flechtheim. Erste Ausstellung beim Kunstsalon Paul Cassirer
Berlin, Viktoriastraße 35