[4] His paintings often commented on poverty and other social and political themes; bleakness and death appear regularly in his pre-war works.

[5] After the war, his painting became more planar and abstract, with elements of cubism, and he disavowed the personal sadness in his earlier works in favor of expressing the "exuberance and organic means of life itself".

[3] The New York Times also attributed his decline to his being "a relentless borrower, an irrepressible eclectic who seemed to prey voraciously on the styles of others".

[6] Born in Cairo, Egypt, as a child he lived in Milan and Geneva while his Italian father, a professional violinist, toured the world.

In the 1950s, he held positions at Louisiana State University, first as a visiting artist and then as an associate professor.