A rare exhibition of the pictures of Arthur Szyk has opened at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York. Szyk's jewel-like miniatures must be seen in person to be fully appreciated, and the opportunity doesn't come along very often. It's worth a trip.
I've previously written about my great admiration for Szyk, who was an extraordinary artist and person in so many ways. I know of no other artist who more passionately and persistently applied his gifts in the service of his social conscience.
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| Szyk's despairing painting of the Antichrist (detail) is reminiscent of Bruegel's 1562 painting, The Triumph of Death |
I try to see Szyk exhibitions whenever they arise. (The last one was years ago at the Library of Congress in Washington DC.) The current one is unique in my experience because it includes early, preliminary and unfinished work.
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| A draft of a young Jewish boy threatened by a Nazi luger |
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| Detail from an early work |
Here is a substantially enlarged drawing, blown up so you can see Szyk's details:
In an era when many artists are struggling with the relationship between art and politics, trying to understand the dividing line between art and propaganda, and most of all trying to put their art in the service of their morality, Szyk is an important precedent, more relevant today than ever.
1 comment:
The man was a passionate master, as fine a miniaturist as any artist in any era. I’ve been fascinated by his work since I was a child in Hebrew school, and have enjoyed seeing his work in person in a pair of exhibits in San Francisco. The originals of his Haggada are sublime. A thanks to Irvin Ungar for championing his work and helping to keep Szyk’s spirit alive.
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