Biography

back to summary of biography                                           The illness and the honours

 
 
Raphael Pricert is hit by the illness that he will die of some years later. He returns, however, to the USA where his friends advise him to have an operation. This is where he should find the best surgeons. But Raphael Pricert feels full of energy. He is too busy. He will see about that later !

 He continues to travel, to paint portraits and landscapes and to smoke. This is how he lets pass the chance to treat the illness in its early days.

Raphael Pricert trusts his lucky star. Everything he touches is a success. He has great projects, students appareciate him, he has many friends in France and all over the world. He is faithful to his old friends from the Montparnasse years. He keeps an open house: Italians, Swedes, Americans, English, Israelis visit his artist studio. He defends and asserts his deliberate choice for figurative painting. Challenged by his daughter he paints a Picasso in the cubist style.

In 1963 he exhibits at the Salon des Indépendants with two paintings, one of which is a large marine : “The Venice Laguna”, and decides to spend the summer in Israel. He puts on a successful exhibition at the Katz Gallery echoed by the press in several languages about his Venice paintings, his harlequins and the views from his artist studio.

In 1964 he exhibits again at the Salon des Indépndants with two paintings to include one large composition made in Safed during his stay in Israel. In November, he is appointed President of the Association of Jewish Painters and Sculptors of  France.

In March 1965 following the steps of Toulouse-Lautrec, he takes an active part in the defence of the Circus with other painters among which his friends André Levé, by painting clowns in a circus. At the Salon des Indépendants, he displays a new composition : “Jeune fille à Martigues”.

In May 1965 he is awarded the Silver Medal of the Ville de Paris crowning all his achievements.

In 1966 he exhibits again two paintings at the Salon des Indépendants, to include a large landscape “Winter in Crans sur Sierre”. During a stay in Neris les Bains, he paints his last paintings and fills his sketch book with drawings and notes, and organizes inspite of his growing fatigue an exhibition at the Art Gallery in Luxemburg. He takes part in the opening (vernissage), but is not longer strong enough to attend the whole exhibition as he had always done previously.

In 1967 Raphael Pricert dies on Febraury 2^nd from his long and painful illness.