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Sneer CoganBessarabian Romanian artist and teacher; founder and professor of the Chisinau School of Painting
Date of Birth: 30.03.1875
Country:  Romania |
Content:
- Schneer Kogan: A Master of Romanian Art
- Early Life and Education
- Munich and Paris
- Establishing the Chisinau School of Painting
- Artistic Recognition
- Family and Legacy
Schneer Kogan: A Master of Romanian Art
Schneer Kogan (1873-1955) was a renowned Bessarabian Romanian artist and educator. He played a pivotal role in the development of the art scene in his region and beyond.
Early Life and Education
Born into a religious Jewish family in Orhei, Bessarabia (now Moldova), Kogan received a traditional Jewish education. He later moved to Chișinău, where he attended gymnasium. In the late 1890s, he and his brother, Moishe, pursued engineering studies in Odessa. There, Kogan discovered his passion for art and enrolled in the School of Fine Arts.
Munich and Paris
In 1903, the Kogan brothers traveled to Munich, joining a thriving community of Russian expatriate artists. Kogan studied at the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts and began exhibiting his works in group shows. When his brother moved to Paris in 1910, Kogan embarked on a journey to Palestine. He spent some time in Tel Aviv, experimenting with mosaic art.
Establishing the Chisinau School of Painting
Returning to his hometown in 1913, Kogan established the Chisinau School of Painting. The school evolved into the Higher School of Plastic Arts, led by the sculptor Alexandru Plămădeală from 1919 onwards. Kogan remained a professor there until his death. Notable students included Moisei and Evgenia Gamburd, and Mendel Beirichman.
Artistic Recognition
Kogan's works gained recognition primarily in Romania. In Chișinău, the Society of Fine Arts of Bessarabia, founded and led by Kogan, organized eleven salons before 1940. Local artists such as August Baillayre, Vladimir Donchev, and Alexander Tarabukin participated alongside Kogan and Plămădeală.
Family and Legacy
Schneer Kogan's brother, Moise Hertz, became a renowned French sculptor and graphic artist. His son, Anatoly, was a Russian writer and journalist, specializing in historical novels about Moldova. Kogan's legacy lives on through the Chisinau School of Painting and the countless artists he inspired.
