Joseph Zaritsky
Encyclopedia
Joseph Zaritsky, also known as Yossef, was an Israeli painter.
, then part of the Russian Empire
. He lived in Amsterdam
, Paris and Brussels
, but mostly he lived in Jerusalem. He studied at the art academy in Kiev
before emigrating to Mandate Palestine in 1923. In 1929, he relocated from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv
, where he became involved in the city's cultural life while documenting its scenes in his paintings. Between the years 1944–47 lived in Zikhron Ya'akov. In 1948, he was Chairman of the Association of Painters and Scuptors.
For over 20 years he worked in watercolours, which he first exhibited at an exhibition jointly with the sculptor Avraham Milkov, at the Tower of David
in Jerusalem in 1923, making a notable impact and evoking great interest.
After his arrival in Palestine in 1923, it did not take long for Yossef Zaritsky to become one of the country's leading artists and critics, earning acclaim for his singular interpretation of the watercolors of Paul Cezanne
and the Russian symbolist Vroubel. Between 1932–33 he opened a studio in the cellar of his home in Rehov Mapu, Tel Aviv
. Standard bearer of the Universalists in their conflict with the Orientalists, he led the "New Horizons" group which grew out of the confrontation. In this perspective, his watercolors were seen as a milestone on the road to modernism. His watercolor portraits and still lifes of the late 1920s and the 1930s reflect the influence of the French Intimists, and sometimes of Matisse.
From the mid-1930s to the mid-1940s he concentrated on one facet of the urban landscape, exploring the problems of painting in hundreds of watercolors of Tel Aviv
rooftops, seen from his own roof and studio window. Gradually flatness and abstraction took over, marking these works as a milestone both in Zaritsky's development and, because of their high quality, in the art of the country. Watercolor, popular among Eretz Israel artists both as the cheapest and the most suitable medium for conveying the transparency and light of the country, was the medium preferred by Zaritsky and many artists he influenced. Among his students were Abramovic, Krize, Aroch, and Holzmann.
The Kibbutz Yehiam series of oils and watercolors that Zaritsky created when he was teaching there in 1947–1949 constitute a central chapter in his work. Here, we find the first example in Israel of lyrical abstraction, with its solid and amorphous structure, unity of color, material, and form, its restrained Expressionism, and its light coloration. The high quality of the paintings, and the depth of their expression of human experience, all mark these works as a milestone in Israeli art. In the early 1950s Zaritsky's paintings became more abstract and their subjects harder to decipher.
From 1970 until his death in 1985, he lived in kibbutz Tzova, on the outskirts of Jerusalem.
Biography
Zaritsky was born in 1891 in UkraineUkraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, then part of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. He lived in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Paris and Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, but mostly he lived in Jerusalem. He studied at the art academy in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
before emigrating to Mandate Palestine in 1923. In 1929, he relocated from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, where he became involved in the city's cultural life while documenting its scenes in his paintings. Between the years 1944–47 lived in Zikhron Ya'akov. In 1948, he was Chairman of the Association of Painters and Scuptors.
For over 20 years he worked in watercolours, which he first exhibited at an exhibition jointly with the sculptor Avraham Milkov, at the Tower of David
Tower of David
The Tower of David is an ancient citadel located near the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem.Built to strengthen a strategically weak point in the Old City's defenses, the citadel that stands today was constructed during the 2nd century BC and subsequently destroyed and rebuilt by,...
in Jerusalem in 1923, making a notable impact and evoking great interest.
After his arrival in Palestine in 1923, it did not take long for Yossef Zaritsky to become one of the country's leading artists and critics, earning acclaim for his singular interpretation of the watercolors of Paul Cezanne
Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th century conception of artistic endeavour to a new and radically different world of art in the 20th century. Cézanne can be said to form the bridge between late 19th...
and the Russian symbolist Vroubel. Between 1932–33 he opened a studio in the cellar of his home in Rehov Mapu, Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
. Standard bearer of the Universalists in their conflict with the Orientalists, he led the "New Horizons" group which grew out of the confrontation. In this perspective, his watercolors were seen as a milestone on the road to modernism. His watercolor portraits and still lifes of the late 1920s and the 1930s reflect the influence of the French Intimists, and sometimes of Matisse.
From the mid-1930s to the mid-1940s he concentrated on one facet of the urban landscape, exploring the problems of painting in hundreds of watercolors of Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
rooftops, seen from his own roof and studio window. Gradually flatness and abstraction took over, marking these works as a milestone both in Zaritsky's development and, because of their high quality, in the art of the country. Watercolor, popular among Eretz Israel artists both as the cheapest and the most suitable medium for conveying the transparency and light of the country, was the medium preferred by Zaritsky and many artists he influenced. Among his students were Abramovic, Krize, Aroch, and Holzmann.
The Kibbutz Yehiam series of oils and watercolors that Zaritsky created when he was teaching there in 1947–1949 constitute a central chapter in his work. Here, we find the first example in Israel of lyrical abstraction, with its solid and amorphous structure, unity of color, material, and form, its restrained Expressionism, and its light coloration. The high quality of the paintings, and the depth of their expression of human experience, all mark these works as a milestone in Israeli art. In the early 1950s Zaritsky's paintings became more abstract and their subjects harder to decipher.
From 1970 until his death in 1985, he lived in kibbutz Tzova, on the outskirts of Jerusalem.
Awards and Prizes
- 1942 Dizengoff PrizeDizengoff PrizeThe Dizengoff Prize for Painting and Sculpture is awarded annually by the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality since 1937.The following is a table of Dizengoff Prize laureates in their respective art form:...
for painting - 1959 Israel PrizeIsrael PrizeThe Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel and is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Knesset chairperson, and the...
, in painting. - 1967 Sandberg Prize for Israeli Art, Israel Museum, Jerusalem
- 1982 Yakir Tel Aviv-Jaffa
- In 2005, he was voted the 196th-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website YnetYnetYnet is the most popular Israeli news and general content website. It is owned by the same conglomerate that operates Yediot Ahronot, the country's secondleading daily newspaper...
to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis.
External links
- Yossef Zaritsky from the collections of the Israel MuseumIsrael MuseumThe Israel Museum, Jerusalem was founded in 1965 as Israel's national museum. It is situated on a hill in the Givat Ram neighborhood of Jerusalem, near the Bible Lands Museum, the Knesset, the Israeli Supreme Court, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem....
- Yossef Zaritsky from the Israeli artist list of the Information Center for Israeli ArtInformation Center for Israeli ArtThe Information Center for Israeli Art is the largest collection of primary resources documenting the history of the Israeli Art in Israel. More than 12,000 artists files are housed in the Center in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem....
at the Israel MuseumIsrael MuseumThe Israel Museum, Jerusalem was founded in 1965 as Israel's national museum. It is situated on a hill in the Givat Ram neighborhood of Jerusalem, near the Bible Lands Museum, the Knesset, the Israeli Supreme Court, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.... - Yossef Zaritsky Europeana – Search results
- Joseph Zaritsky's works at the Gordon Gallery, Tel Aviv. Includes list of solo exhibitions.