Franciska Clausen

1922), from Alexander Archipenko in Berlin in 1923, and under Fernand Léger in Paris (1924–25). She was inspired by László Moholy-Nagy's Constructivist collages. From 1924 to 1928 in Paris, a cubist style can be seen in her paintings with a base in Léger's 'machine style art'. Between 1924 and 1928, Clausen worked in Paris. In the paintings from this period such as Konstruktiv modellstudie (1925), Contre-Composition (1928), and Komposition (1927), the influence of Léger's machine style is clearly visible. In 1933, she taught at the Tegne- og Kunstindustriskolen for Kvinder (Drawing and applied arts school for women) in Copenhagen. Throughout her career, Clausen passed through most of the stages in the development of modern art, and her paintings show elements of Neue Sachlichkeit, Constructivism, Cubism, Neo-plasticism, Surrealism and Purism, though her greatest influence was Léger.

Franciska Clausen studied at Académie Moderne. Training under Walter Püttner, Sigurd Wandel and László Moholy-Nagy is recorded. The recorded working language is Danish. The field of work recorded is painting. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are portrait. Work by Franciska Clausen is recorded in the collections of Statens Museum for Kunst and Georgia Museum of Art. Distinctions recorded are Thorvaldsen Medal.

• Name — Franciska Clausen • Born — 7 January 1899 • Birthplace — Aabenraa, then in the German Empire • Died — 5 March 1986 • Place of death — Aabenraa, Denmark • Field — Painting • Movement — Neue Sachlichkeit Cubism Purism Surrealism • Awards — Thorwaldsen Medaillen 1977, The Danish Arts Foundation's Lifetime Honorary Award 1979

Cercle et carré was a short-lived collective of abstract artists founded by Joaquín Torres-García and Michel Seuphor in 1929. Clausen likely joined the group through mutual friends or acquaintances. Though she attended the groups meetings, she did not participate in their theoretical discussions. It is possible that Clausen was uncomfortable at these meetings, as she noted later on in her life that the group possessed, in her words, “some latent misogyny: women were not taken seriously.” She exhibited with the group in their only show, in April 1930.

• L’Art d’aujourd’hui, 1925 • International Societé Anonyme exhibition, 1926 • Salon des Indépendants, late 1920's • Stockholm Exhibition, 1930 • Cercle et carré exhibition, April 18–30, 1930 • Solo Exhibition, 1932