Chaim Soutine (1893–1943) was a Belarusian-born Jewish painter who became one of the most visceral voices of the School of Paris. Raised in deep poverty near Minsk, he left home to study art and arrived in Paris in 1913, living among immigrant artists in Montparnasse and at La Ruche. Soutine absorbed the lessons of the old masters—especially Rembrandt, Chardin, and Courbet—yet pushed them into a turbulent modern language defined by thick paint, warped forms, and emotional intensity. After World War I he worked in places like Céret and Cagnes-sur-Mer, producing feverish landscapes, portraits, and still lifes that feel physically alive. His breakthrough came when American collector Albert C. Barnes purchased a major group of his works, bringing financial stability and international attention. Despite success, Soutine remained private, anxious, and chronically ill. As a Jewish artist during the Nazi occupation, he spent his final years in hiding in France. He died in Paris in 1943 following surgery for a severe ulcer. Today, Soutine is celebrated as a bridge between classical painting and the raw energy that later fueled Abstract Expressionism.