Elie Nadelman was born in Warsaw, Poland, on 20 February 1882. After studying at the Warsaw Art Academy he spent six months in Munich before arriving in Paris late in 1904. He exhibited his work at the Berthe Weill Gallery and at the Salon d'Automne of 1905 and 1906, and gradually acquired a circle of admirers including the brothers Thadée and Alexandre Natanson, founding editors of La Revue Blanche (the White Review), and Leo and Gertrude Stein. In 1909 he held a large solo exhibition at Galerie Druet, Paris. The entire contents of his following solo exhibition, at Paterson's Gallery, London, in 1911, was purchased by Helena Rubinstein who became Nadelman's chief patron. Nadelman was included in the 'International Exhibition of Modern Art' (the Armory Show) in New York in 1913, and in 1914, with the assistance of Helena Rubinstein, he obtained passage to New York and set up a studio in the garage of her house at Rye, New York. In 1915 he was given a solo exhibition at the Photo-Secession Gallery and this was followed by a large solo exhibition at Scott and Fowles Gallery, New York, in 1917. By 1920 Nadelman had established a studio employing three assistants. The suave neo-classicism of his portrait sculpture won him many commissions. At the same time he carved lively figures in cherrywood that seemed to parody the world of high society to which he belonged. In 1920 Nadelman married Viola Flannery, a wealthy widow, and the sculptor was then able to become a collector. He filled his house in New York and 'Alderbrook', his estate in Riverdale, with an exemplary collection of American folk art. With the crash of the stock-market in 1929 the Nadelmans suffered large financial losses and were ultimately forced to part with their collection and both homes. After 1930 Nadelman stopped exhibiting, refused to sell his work and declined to compete for commissions. Although he continued to work, he secluded himself as an artist and allowed his past achievements to fall into obscurity. Nadelman died in New York on 28 December 1946.