“Simka Simkhovitch was born in Petrograd, Russia on May 21, 1893.” (1)
“During a severe case of measles when he was seven, Simkhovitch sketched the views outside his window and decided to become an artist, over his father's objections. Beginning in 1905, he studied at the Grekov Odessa Art School and upon completion of his studies in 1911 received a recommendation to be admitted to the Imperial Academy of Arts.” (2)
“Swept up into the army before he could attend, his work was hung in the Museum of Revolution in Leningrad. He resumed his studies in 1914 and graduated four years later.” (3)
“Simkhovitch exhibited paintings and sculptures in 1918 as part of an exhibition of Jewish artists and in 1919 placed 1st in the competition "The Great Russian Revolution" with a painting called "Russian Revolution" which was hung in the State Museum of Revolution. In 1922, Simkhovitch exhibited at the International Book Fair in Florence (Italian: Fiera Internazionale del Libro di Firenze).” (2)
“He was sent to the United States in 1924 to do illustrations for Soviet textbooks. He quickly applied for and gained U.S. citizenship.” (1)
“Initially he supported himself by doing commercial art and a few portrait commissions. In 1927, he was hired to paint a screen for a scene in the play ‘The Command to Love’ by Fritz Gottwald and Rudolph Lothar which was playing at the Longacre Theatre on Broadway. Art dealers began clamoring for the screen and Simkhovitch began a career as a screen painter for the theater. Catching the attention of the screenwriter, Ernest Pascal, he worked as an illustrator for Pascal, who then introduced him to gallery owner, Marie Sterner. Simkhovitch's works appeared at the Marie Sterner Gallery beginning with a 1927 exhibit and were repeated the following year. Simkhovitch had an exhibit in 1929 at Sterner's on circus paintings. In 1931, he held a showing of works at the Helen Hackett Gallery, in New York City and later that same year he was one of the featured artists of a special exhibit in San Francisco at the The California Palace of the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park. The exhibit was coordinated by Marie Sterner and included four watercolors, including one titled ‘Nudes’.” (2)
“He received commissions from the Federal Arts Project of the Works Progress Administration and painted murals for the Federal Court House in Jackson, MS and the U. S. Post Office in Beaufort, NC. For many years, he worked in and around Greenwich, Connecticut.” (4)
“Life magazine editors profiled him twice with full-length features on his life here in this country as an artist.” (1)
“The 4-page Lifefeature [sic] appeared in the December 29, 1941 edition of the magazine and showed Simkhovich's home and studio in Greenwich, Connecticut as well as photographs of his wife, the model Elsa Forne, and two of their three daughters, Sonya and Naomi.” (2)
“In February, 1949, while moving with his family into a new house and studio in Milford, Connecticut, he contracted pneumonia and died at the age of 55.” (4)
Reference
1. Askart Staff. Simka Simkhovitch [internet]. [cited 2019 Nov 26]. Available from: https://www.askart.com/artist_bio/Simka_Simkhovitch/20504/Simka_Simkhovitch.aspx
2. People Pill Staff. Simka Simkhovitch [internet]. [cited 2019 Nov 26]. Available from: https://peoplepill.com/people/simka-simkhovitch-1/
3. Taylor Graham Staff. Simka Simkhovitch [internet]. New York, NY: Taylor and Graham; 2019 [cited 2019 Nov 26]. Available from: https://www.taylorandgraham.com/artists/414-simka-simkhovitch/
4. Fletcher Copenhaver Staff. Simka Simkhovitch (1893-1949) [internet]. Fredericksburg, VA: Fletcher Copenhaver Fine Art [cited 2019 Nov 26]. Available from: http://fc-fineart.com/mp.php?rqs=414