Gabriel Zendel
1906-1994

Gabriel Zendel was born January 8, 1906 in Paris. He became an active contributor to the Post-Cubist School of art and exhibited frequently in Paris and abroad during the 1930s, 40s, 50s, 60s and even into the early 70s.

Following his military service in Morocco, Zendel began his fine art studies 1925 with Paul Bornet at l’Institut d’Esthétique Contemporaine where he learned contemporary techniques for painting and engraving. Zendel also traveled to Holland and Northern Italy during this time.

In 1929 Zendel sold his first painting, Paysage de Montmartre. He went on to exhibit in numerous group expositions including: Salon des Vrais Indépendants, Paris, 1930, 1931, 1937 and 1946; Galerie Carmine, Paris, 1931; Galerie Zak, Paris, 1932; Salon des Indépendants, Paris, 1934, 1935, 1946, 1947, 1949 and 1952-1954; Salon d’Automne, Paris, 1934,1935,1946,1947, 1949 and 1952-1954; Salon des Tuileries, Paris, 1934, 1935, 1946, 1947, 1949; Le Prix de Rome en Liberté, Galerie Charpentier, Paris, 1936; Les Jeunes Peintres, Galerie des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1936; L’Art Français, Cambridge, Sofia, Bucharest, Istanbul, 1939; La Marseillaise, galerie Roux-Hentschel, 1945; Le jour V, Galerie Berri-Raspail, Paris, 1945; Quinze Peintres Contemporain, Institut Tessin, Paris, 1949; Exposition Internationale de la Gravure, Paris, 1950; Salon des Peintres Témoins de Leur Temps, Musée Galliera, Paris1950, 1953, 1954, 1955; Peintres d’Aujourd;hui, France-Italie, Palazzo Belli Arti, Turin, 1952; Biennale de Menton, 1953; The Second International Art Exibition, Japan, 1953 and the Salon de Dijon in 1962.

Solo exhibitions include: Galerie de Paris, 1934; Chez Gasser, Cannes, 1942; Galerie de Berri, Paris, 1947;Galerie Durand-Ruel, New York, 1949; Galerie Durand-Ruel, Paris, 1950;Galerie Drouant-David, Paris, 1952 and 1956; Galerie Marcel Guiot, Paris, 1953; Obelisk Gallery, Washington, 1955; Galerie Bridel, Lausanne, 1956; Galerie Oeillet, Toulouse, 1958; Galerie Monique de Groote, Canada, 1958; Galerie Carlier, Paris, 1961; Galerie Soleils, Paris, 1965 and the Galerie Le Biblion, Toulouse in 1973.

Throughout his career Zendel became known as a painter, illustrator, engraver and ceramicist. Popular themes the artist worked with include slightly macabre clowns and circus performers and the landscapes (both rural and urban) that were most familiar to him: Paris, Bourgogne and Honfleur.
He created the set decorations for a theatre piece entitled Jeune Homme qui ne compte pas performed by the Marcel Lupovici Company. Zendel also created twenty-five drawings to illustrate Le Cirque by Léon Paul Fargue and original lithographs for Les Célibataires by Motherlant and Nuit de Prince by Kessel.

Museums in Nevers, Rennes and the Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris have collected the artist’s work.

Gabriel Zendel died in 1980 in Paris.