A group of eight women crowds together convivially. Their protective stance and the bright red dress call attention to the youngest, perched on a chair at the center. A slim, fashionably dressed woman holds a small dog and the plume on her chic blue hat points to the only man in the scene. A dreamy cherub floats toward him as if blessing his good luck with women. The art historian Kenneth Silver has suggested that the man bears a slight resemblance to the artist, and that the picture may refer, in part, to Pascin’s pride in having had a Turkish wet nurse. Pascin was a central figure in the social and cultural life of the cafés and studios of Montparnasse. He soon became well known among Jewish artists in the neighborhood, who looked to him as an example of an accomplished Jewish artist.
			Jules Pascin The Turkish Family, 1907 Oil on canvas 24 x 20 in. (61 x 50.8 cm) Paulette and Kurt Olden ©2000 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, ADAGP, Paris