Van Dongen, a Dutch artist who lived in Paris, was briefly a member of the Dresden-based artist group Brücke in 1908. The group’s founders, including Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, invited him and other artists from across Europe working with bold, expressive color to join their ranks, declaring, “Whoever renders directly and authentically that which impels him to create is one of us.” Van Dongen painted this portrait at the beginning of the year, when Modjesko, an African American singer and drag performer, was headlining at a music hall in Paris.
Gallery label from 2022
