Itshak Holtz

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Itshak Holtz (2014)

Itshak Jack Holtz ( Hebrew יצחק הולץ, also called Itzhak Holtz ; born 1925 in Skierniewice , Poland ; died on 21st December 2018 ) was an Israeli - American painter , graphic artist and lithographer of Polish origin.

Life

Signature of Itshak Holtz

Itshak Holtz was born in Skierniewice in 1925 as one of four children of hat maker Aryeh Holtz and his wife Lisa. His enthusiasm for art was aroused at the age of five when his father painted a picture of a horse-drawn sleigh in the snow for him. The boy was so fascinated by this picture that he asked his father to paint more for him. At the age of six, Holtz himself sketched the Polish Prime Minister in chalk on the street, surrounded by a crowd.

In 1935 the family moved to Jerusalem . Itshak Holtz studied graphic design there from 1945 to 1947 at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design . After completing his studies at the Bezalel Academy , Holtz married.

In 1950 he emigrated to New York with his wife Gertrude , where he attended the Art Students League of New York from 1950 to 1952 and devoted himself to painting with Robert Brackman, Robert Philip and Harry Sternberg. When he arrived in New York, Holtz was not yet able to speak English , but could only communicate in Polish , Yiddish and Hebrew . Only through the mediation of his teacher and later friend Robert Philip, with whom he also studied at the National Academy of Design in 1953 , did he learn English. This was followed by another year of study in Israel.

Act

Itzshak Holtz's artistic work was deeply rooted in Orthodox Judaism . He is best known for his genre paintings of Jewish life in Israel and New York. In this profession, Holtz was one of the most outstanding contemporary artists. His pictures reflected everyday Jewish history through the ages and are shaped by Orthodox tradition and spirituality. In addition to oil paintings and watercolors , his oeuvre also included numerous drawings and lithographs . Holtz's most important role models were Rembrandt van Rijn and Pieter Bruegel the Elder . His painting, however, is characterized by impressionistic colors. Another focus of his work was, in addition to the genre scene of Jewish life, his numerous portraits and portrait studies.

At the beginning of his time in the United States, Holtz was still struggling with financial difficulties and was initially only able to keep himself afloat by taking on orders to produce portraits, but his pictures were later traded in the five-digit US dollar range.

Private

Itshak Holtz was married and lived with his wife Gertrude in New York's Washington Heights neighborhood and in Jerusalem.

Exhibitions (selection)

Solo exhibitions

  • 1967 Theodor Herzl Institute, New York
  • 1992/93 The World of Itshak Holtz , Yeshiva University Museum, New York
  • 2011 Jerusalem Great Synagogue, Israel
  • 2012 Itshak Holtz: A Personal Vision - Drawings and Watercolors , Betzalel Gallery, Crown Heights, Brooklyn

Group exhibitions

  • 2003 Saratoga Jewish Art Festival

literature

  • Art Exhibition of Oil Paintings by Itshak J. Holtz , Theodor Herzl Institute, New York 1967.
  • The World of Itshak Holtz: A Twentieth Century Genre Painter , Yeshiva University Museum, New York 1992.

Web links

Commons : Itshak Holtz  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Iconic Jewish Artist Passes Away. In: COLlive of December 23, 2018. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  2. ↑ Who's Who in American Art 2007/2008 , p. 588.
  3. ↑ a b c d e f CV on the official website .
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Jim Lane: Itshak Holtz , in: Art Now and Then of July 28, 2014.
  5. ↑ a b c d e f Brief portrait of Itzhak Holtz , on the Your Arts Desire website .
  6. ↑ a b c d e f Crown Heights Welcomes Opening Of Hasidic Fine Art Gallery , in: Vos Iz Neias from May 21, 2012.
  7. ↑ a b c d Sergey Kadinsky: Elderly Artist, environmentalist, young families fly with Nefesh B'Nefesh , in: The Jewish Star from June 23, 2010.
  8. ↑ a b c Chana Ya'ar: High-End Hassidic Art Gallery Opens in Brooklyn , in: Arutz Sheva from May 17, 2012.
  9. ↑ a b c d e Richard McBee: Itshak Holtz: Jewish Genre Painting , in: The Jewish Press of July 4, 2003.
  10. ↑ a b c d Ruchama Weiss and Levi Brackman: Hassidic art gallery sheds light on orthodox art , on the website ynetnews.com from April 6, 2012.
  11. ^ A b New Brooklyn Gallery Features $ 175,000 Hassidic Art , in: The General Journal, May 11, 2012.
  12. ^ A b c d Rochelle Maruch Miller: Judaica Treasures: Poet's Rare First Book Featured At Kestenbaum & Company , in: 5 Towns Jewish Times, June 19, 2014.
  13. ↑ Brief portrait of Itshak Holtz ( memento from August 19, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), on the website of the Belmont Galleries , New York.
  14. ↑ a b c Asher Schapiro: Letter From the Chairman of the Board ( Memento of November 29, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), on the website of the Jerusalem Great Synagogue of October 5, 2011.
  15. ↑ a b Betzalel Art Gallery Opening in Crown Heights , on the website shturem.org .
  16. ^ Art Exhibition of Oil Paintings by Itshak J. Holtz , Theodor Herzl Institute, New York 1967.
  17. ^ The World of Itshak Holtz: A Twentieth Century Genre Painter , Yeshiva University Museum, New York 1992.
  18. ↑ Betzalel Gallery Presents: Itshak Holtz A Personal Vision, Drawings and Watercolors: Reception , on YouTube from May 20, 2012.
  19. ↑ Saratoga Jewish Art Festival 2003 ( Memento of the original from April 19, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , on the website of Saratoga Chabad .  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / id3460.securedata.net
personal data
SURNAME Holtz, Itshak
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Holtz, Itzhak; Holtz, Itshak Jack
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American and Israeli painter and printmaker
DATE OF BIRTH 1925
PLACE OF BIRTH Skierniewice
DATE OF DEATH December 21, 2018