Raphael Soyer wrote in his autobiography: "In 1919 I entered the National Academy of Design, where I studied 2 or 3 years. This followed several months in the Student Art League. After graduating, I worked in several factories to earn a living and was engaged in painting only in my spare time. When I recall now all these years, I understand that right after the end of the Academy I put a lot of effort to forget everything that I was taught there. And if my classmates, rebelling against training at the Academy, came under the influence of Cezanne, Van Gogh and painted like them, I really started from the very beginning and painted in an open and almost naive manner, completely ordinary things that were part of my daily existence (for example, Dance lessons, a variety of portraits of my mother, father and family members). (Google translation of text at http://artukraine.com.ua/a/amerikanskie-druzya-otca-russkogo-futurizma-david-burlyuk-i-bratya-soyery/#.WSgnP4U41Wa)