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Jean-Michel Atlan, born in 1913 in Constantine in French Algeria and died in Paris in 1960, was a self-taught artist associated with the avant-garde movement CoBrA. He studied philosophy at La Sorbonne before becoming a professor, a post he left because of anti-Semitic laws. It was at this time that he began to paint. In 1956, his style sharpened, progressing towards strong, black and sinuous lines that surround pastel areas like organic ensembles evoking a fight or a dance. The same year, he made a name for himself with the poster for the École de Paris exhibition at the Galerie Charpentier and then with a solo show at the Galerie Bing. In the 1950s, he exhibited in France, Japan, England and the United States and was then considered one of the greatest figures of the New School of Paris. He died in his Parisian studio on February 12, 1960.