Grégoire Michonze
(1902-1982) Painter

Real name: Grigore Michonznic

Born 22 March 1902 in Kichnieff, Bessarabia (which was incorporated into Romania in 1918, and is now in Moldova). Died 29 December, 1982, in Paris.

Michonze was a Romanian Jew (his mother’s family were rabbis) who worked with VICTOR BRAUNER as an assistant set designer at the National Theatre in Bucharest. He left for Paris in 1922, where he became a close friend of Henry Miller, ILARIE VORONCA, and BENJAMIN FONDANE. He also designed a theatrical revue in Paris. He is generally remembered as a Surrealist painter, though not all of his work was in that style.

The Foundation has several works by MICHONZE in its collection, including two Surrealist drawings dating from 1928, a self portrait in charcoal from 1971, and some later oil paintings.

Grégoire Michonze

"Head of a Villager", charcoal on paper. During the 1970's and 80's Michonze lived and worked in the village of Jully sur Sarce in Champagne where he would draw the local people who passed by his studio.

Surrealist drawings

Beach scene

Village scene