MOSES LEVY (1885-1968)
Italo-British painter and printmaker — pioneer of the School of Tunis
Originally from Tunisia, Moses Levy is recognized as one of the pioneers of modern painting in the country and a precursor of the School of Tunis. He began his path at the Lycée Carnot in Tunis before pursuing his artistic studies in Italy, at the Academy of Lucca and then at the École des Beaux-Arts in Florence in 1903.
During World War II, he stayed in Tunisia, soaking up the lights and Mediterranean landscapes that would nourish his work. In 1945, he returned permanently to Italy, while remaining deeply attached to Tunisia. After the war, he founded, with Pierre Boucherle, Jules Lellouche, and Antonio Corpora, the School of Tunis, which quickly became an essential reference for painting in North Africa.
Originally from Tunisia, Moses Levy is recognized as one of the pioneers of modern painting in the country and a precursor of the School of Tunis. He began his path at the Lycée Carnot in Tunis before pursuing his artistic studies in Italy, at the Academy of Lucca and then at the École des Beaux-Arts in Florence in 1903.
During World War II, he stayed in Tunisia, soaking up the lights and Mediterranean landscapes that would nourish his work. In 1945, he returned permanently to Italy, while remaining deeply attached to Tunisia. After the war, he founded, with Pierre Boucherle, Jules Lellouche, and Antonio Corpora, the School of Tunis, which quickly became an essential reference for painting in North Africa.
His studio, located on rue de Provence (today rue du 18-Janvier) in Tunis, became a meeting place for artists of the School, fostering exchanges, collaborations, and collective creativity. Moses Levy's frequent travels between the two shores of the Mediterranean fed his palette and his vision, integrating varied impressions and colors into his works.
He exhibited regularly in Italian and Tunisian salons as well as in colonial exhibitions. A member of the "Groupe des 4" in 1936, then the "Groupe des Dix" in 1947, he officially joined the School of Tunis in 1950, consolidating his central role in the development of a modern pictorial language, both rooted in tradition and open to European influences.
He exhibited regularly in Italian and Tunisian salons as well as in colonial exhibitions. A member of the "Groupe des 4" in 1936, then the "Groupe des Dix" in 1947, he officially joined the School of Tunis in 1950, consolidating his central role in the development of a modern pictorial language, both rooted in tradition and open to European influences.
Exhibitions
