Rudolf Levy
Der Tisch / Stilleben mit Pfeifen, Krug und Flaschen, 1923

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.