The Years of Wandering: Paris, Łódź, and Munich

This chapter explores Samuel Hirszenberg's life from 1889 to 1892, which was filled with wandering—personal and artistic. The chapter begins by recounting the arrival of Hirszenberg in Paris in December 1888. In contrast to his life in Munich, about which his student notebook offers at least some information, the chapter stresses that written reminiscences relating to this period have yet to be uncovered. Prior to ending his short sojourn in the City of Lights, the chapter reveals how Hirszenberg succeeded in reaching two important milestones: Yeshiva was exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1889 and was awarded a bronze medal; and he completed his first truly modernist work—Lady with a Red Parasol. The chapter follows Hirszenberg's return from Paris to Łódź to offer support to his needy family. It then discusses Hirszenberg's interest in outdoor and landscape painting as well as landscape art, impressionism, and symbolism. The chapter concludes by considering Hirszenberg's Urania, a tall and elongated canvas, which is certainly an atypical work of his.