Marie Elena Vieira da Silva was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1908. At the age of twenty, she moved to Paris, where she studied under renowned masters such as Bourdelle and Despiau at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. She attended Léger’s studio and the pioneering Atelier 17 directed by S.W. Hayter. At the same time, she studied with Dufresne, Waroquier, and Friesz, continuing to hone her skills. During this period, Marie Elena married the Hungarian painter Arpad Szenes.
In 1932, she began working in Roger Bissière’s studio at the Ranson Academy, where she met Jeanne Bucher, a renowned gallery owner of the time. Thanks to Bucher, her artistic career received a significant boost: in 1933, she organized her first solo exhibition. A crucial moment in the defi...> Read more