| 1908: |
Arbit Blatas is born on November 19th, 1908 in Kaunas, Lithuania to Russian parents. |
| 1922: |
At the age of fifteen he is already exhibiting in his native country.
|
| 1928: |
En route to Paris, in Berlin, Germany, he sees world première of the Kurt Weill-Berthold Brecht masterpiece
"The Threepenny Opera". |
| 1929: |
Exhibits at Salon D'Automne and the Salon des Tuileries in Paris, France
regularly until 1939. |
| 1929: |
At the age of twenty-one, he becomes the youngest member
of the "School of Paris" and friend and colleague of many of the great figures of
Paris art life: Vlaminck, Soutine, Picasso, Utrillo, Braque, Matisse, to name just a few.
He eventually paints and sculpts them all. |
| 1934: |
Comes to the United States. First show at
Pierre Matisse gallery. |
| 1936: |
The Jeu de Paume museum in Paris and the Musée de Grenoble buy the first paintings. |
| 1936-9: |
Shows regularly in major galleries in Paris. |
| 1941: |
Fleeing from Europe, he arrives in the United States where he becomes a highly respected member
of the art community, eventually becoming an American citizen. |
| 1946: |
With the war over, he begins to divide his time between Paris and New York, exhibiting regularly in the USA
and abroad. |
| 1960: |
First exhibitions of "The Threepenny Opera" in Paris, France, and Lausanne, Switzerland.
|
| 1967: |
His life-size bronze of colleague Chaim Soutine is purchased by André Malraux for the Orangerie in
Paris. |
| 1971-84: |
Designs and executes his first operas - "Carmen" in Hamburg, Germany and "Elektra"
in Venice, Italy - with Regina Resnik as Director. |
| 1980: |
On April 25th, the National Holiday of Liberation
from the Nazis, his Monument of the Holocaust (seven bronze bas-reliefs) is consecrated in the Historic Ghetto of Venice
in the Campo del Ghetto Nuovo. |
| 1981: |
On April 23rd, a second edition of the Monument of the Holocaust
is dedicated in Paris at the Shrine of the Unknown Jewish Martyrs. |
| 1982: |
On April 25th, a third edition of the Monument of the Holocaust
is placed in New York City by the Anti-Defamation League in the Dag Hammerskjold Plaza
facing the United Nations. |
| 1982: |
In Venice, Italy - a major exhibition of Blatas' "School of Paris" portraits
at the Church of San Samuele under the auspices of the Mayors of Paris and Venice (Jacques
Chirac and Mario Rigo, respectively). |
| 1984: |
In Venice, at the Teatro Goldoni,
"Threepenny Opera" exhibition: Paintings, Lithographs, Sculpture. |
| 1986: |
"Threepenny Opera" exhibition
at the Museum of the City of New York and the Goethe Institute in Toronto, Canada. |
| 1986: |
The Musée Bourdelle in Paris, France
offers the first major exhibition of the "School of Paris" portraits. |
| 1988: |
Life-size statue of Chaim Soutine by Blatas
is installed in the Square Gaston Baty in Montparnasse-Paris. |
| 1988: |
Exhibition "Arbit Blatas and his World of Music
and Theatre" at the Museum of the City of New York |
| 1990: |
Musée Municipal in Boulogne-Billancourt
acquires the entire collection of the portraits, drawings and bronzes of the "School of Paris"
artists. |
| 1991: |
Bronze statue of artist, Jacques Lipchitz, is
installed in the garden of the Hotel de Ville in Boulogne-Billancourt. |
| 1994: |
Paris presentation in Montparnasse of
the "School of Paris" under the title "Memories of Paris". |
| 1994: |
In May, the Grosvenor Gallery in London
presents the exhibition called "Arbit Blatas and his World of Music and Theatre".
|
| 1994: |
On September 19th, Arbit Blatas is honored
by the President of Italy who personally dedicates the sculpture called "The Last Train" in
the Historic Ghetto of Venice. The monument honors the fiftieth anniversary of
the Deportation of the Holocaust. |
| 1994: |
Eastlake Gallery in New York
presents an entire exhibition dedicated to Arbit Blatas' paintings of Venice. |
| 1997: |
March and April - Beacon Hill Gallery in New York City
shows paintings, drawings and sculpture in Arbit Blatas' last gallery exhibition. |
| 1998: |
The Museum of the Thirties of Boulogne-Billancourt
opens officially in December with Arbit Blatas' "School of Paris" portrait collection
permanently installed in rooms dedicated to the artist. |
| 1999: |
Arbit Blatas passes away on April 27th. |
| 2000: |
Regina Resnik-Blatas officially dedicates collection
in Paris Museum of the Thirties. |
| 2008-9: |
Hebrew Union College(HUC) - New York City - Centennial Exhibition. |
| 2008-9: |
Teatro Communale - Treviso, Italy - Centennial Exhibition. |
| 2011: |
National Museum of Lithuania - Vilnius, Lithuania - opens a permanent
exhibition of native son, Arbit Blatas, including 365 paintings, sculpture and lithographs. |
are presented on this page along with a listing of museums and galleries
where he exhibited, opera productions he designed, films, lithographic editions and
publications connected to his work and honors he received. A more detailed chronology can be obtained upon request (see "Contact" page).