Born in Poland in 1882, Elie Nadelman studied at the Warsaw Art Academy and then left Poland for Munich in 1904, eventually settling in Paris. His years there (1906-1914) were brilliant with successful exhibitions, established patronage and critical acclaim. Nadelman was visited, befriended and admired by the leading modern artists including Picasso, Brancusi and Modigliani. He was patronized and reviewed by the Parisian avant-garde: Leo and Gertrude Stein, Andre Gide, Apollinaire and the Natanson brothers. The attention paid to the young Polish sculptor caused an irritated Matisse to post a sign in his studio, 'Defense de parler de nadelman ici' (It is forbidden to speak of Nadelman here). Other lifetime examples of 'Horse' are in the collections of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C., and The Corcoran Gallery, Washington, D.C. as well as the example sold for the benefit of the School of American Ballet in these Rooms on December 1, 1989, lot 131.