Idel Ianchelevici facts for kids

Idel Ianchelevici (born May 5, 1909 – died June 28, 1994) was a talented artist. He was a sculptor, which means he made statues, and a draughtsman, which means he was skilled at drawing. He was born in Russia but also lived in Romania and Belgium.

Life Story of Idel Ianchelevici

Idel Ianchelevici was born in a place called Leova in the Russian Empire. His parents were Jewish. In 1928, he left Romania and moved to Belgium. He wanted to focus completely on his passion for making sculptures and drawings.

After serving in the military back home, he returned to Liège, a city in Belgium. He joined the Académie des Beaux-Arts de la Ville, which is an art school. In 1933, he won first prize for his statue art there.

In the same year, he married Elisabeth Frenay and moved to Brussels. He helped design the Romanian part of the big world fair in Brussels in 1935. After that, he held many of his own art shows. These shows took place in Brussels, Tel-Aviv, Paris, Amsterdam, and other cities around the world.

A very important year for Ianchelevici was 1945. He became a Belgian citizen. Also, his famous statue called l'Appel (which means "The Call") was officially shown to the public in La Louvière.

Ten years later, Ianchelevici received a special grant (like a scholarship) to work in the Belgian Congo. There, he created three statues to add to the well-known Stanley-monument in Léopoldville (which is now called Kinshasa). He also made many amazing drawings during this time. Later, he showed his artwork in many countries worldwide.

In 1950, he settled in France, in a town called Maisons-Laffitte. He lived there until he passed away at 86 years old. Today, a cultural center in that town is named after him.

Idel Ianchelevici's Art Style

Idel Ianchelevici's art was inspired by "the strength and greatness of people." This is why he could create huge sculptures like "l'Appel" (made in 1939). His figures show strong feelings and power. Good examples are Conspiration ("Conspiracy," 1932), which was inspired by the struggles of working people at that time. Another is the Monument national au prisonnier politique ("National Monument to the Political Prisoner"), which was put up in Breendonk in 1954. This monument honors people who were held prisoner for their beliefs.

Ianchelevici's sculptures often look like they are stepping right out of the material they are made from. There are no empty spaces; the shape and size of the sculpture fill the space completely, as seen in his work Paternel.

Starting in 1945, Ianchelevici began to sculpt using marble and stone. These materials are very hard to work with and require artists to make forms simpler. His figures became longer and more flexible. His themes also changed, often inspired by the young, developing figures of girls. This was a big change in his art career. He began a continuous search for simpler shapes and more basic faces, like in his sculpture Eve (1980).

Even while sculpting, Ianchelevici never stopped drawing. His drawings are complete artworks on their own and are not always just sketches for his sculptures. However, in both his drawings and sculptures, he explored similar themes and aimed for the same simple forms.

Images for kids

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  Wemmel

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  August Vermeylen

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  Achiel Van Acker

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  Breendonk

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  Antwerpen

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  Liège