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| Art I Heart |
Share the art you love from your walls,
a birthday card, what your child drew at school, that you saw in The National
Gallery in London...
1. Choose one piece of art that has a short personal story behind it. It could be something on your wall, something you've seen in a gallery and love, homedrawn, on a postcard, on a birthday card, something by Degas or something by your DS.
2. Take a photograph, scan or download a picture of your picture and post it along with the short story about why you are drawn to it, have it on your wall, bought it, or hate it. Don't forget to link back to the linky so your readers can see the other entries.
3. Link up (it's open till next Thursday, 4pm GMT), leave a comment, et voila!
Here's mine:
My Grandfather had an enormous square diningroom table that you could expand using a crank to unwind the screws that held it together. The legs are on castors and with the two extra leaves added, it can seat up to 14 people. He bought it second-hand probably in the 1930s but definitely had it by the 1950s. For as long as I knew it in his house, it had this painting of Rabbis Learning hanging above it. When Grandpa died and his wife moved to a small flat, we inheritted the table. My Aunt had no room for the table in her house but she wanted the painting. Without hesitation my mother informed her (with the necessary authoritative tone of voice) that the picture goes with the table. Funnily enough, when my parents down-sized and had no room for the table, my mother had no difficulty in separating the table (which went to my sister) and the painting (which they kept).
The picture itself is apparently quite famous with numerous reproductions in varying compositions and with varying backgrounds. Ours is signed but I'm sure it is not the original. It's also difficult to see exactly what the signature is: S. Leyon? Leijons? Lejons? Leyons? I've googled it and found other reproductions of the same painting but no information about the original. If anyone can help me on this I'd be very grateful.
Grandpa used to tell me a whole story about what each of the rabbis was thinking and saying - with voices for each character. If I were to choose a painting that most reminds me of my childhood, this would be the one.
What an interesting piece - it looks like some kind of disagreement is taking place. Like the tradition of how it had to hang over the table. Even nicer that you now have the painting. Would like to know what your grandfathers stories were behind each of the Rabbis. I am hopefully going to link up this week.
ReplyDeleteActually the painting is still at my Parents flat where we spent the holiday - but I'm ready to fight it out when the time comes :).
DeleteI really enjoyed reading about the history of the painting in your family and it's association with the table. It was interesting comparing the first picture with the second picture showing it framed. Maybe it's just the light in the photo, but for me, when I see it with the frame around it, the whole background of the picture appears lighter and more golden too.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the woman in the background is doing / thinking too.
There are no women - it's a man wrapped in a prayer shawl and praying. The Rabbis are learning in part of the synagogue which is traditionally called the shul (school).
DeleteI received this email today:
ReplyDelete> Shalom,My grandfather also gave a reproduction of this painting to my mother. She tells me a holocaust survivor did the reproduction and my grandfather bought it from him along with 2 other paintings to help him out. I too have searched on the internet for something about the original but have not been able to find any info. In fact that’s how I ended up on your blog! Did you receive any clues ? With kind regards
So I'm not the only one looking. And so many people know this painting but don't know where it comes from. Someone out there must know.
hi, I also have a copy of this painting and cannot identify the painter. If anyone ever figures it out please email me at yanksrockla04@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI certainly will. When I wrote about this painting I assumed my research techniques weren't up to much. I didn't realise that it it really does seem to be a big mystery.
DeleteMy parents have this picture at home in London. It's not a painting, just a print. I'll try and find out if there is any signature on it.
ReplyDeleteThank you - although the copies are usually signed by the copy artists and there are many copies. However if you have a name I will follow it up.
DeleteWhat's also interesting is that I found an image of virtually the same painting, but with a different background http://judaica-art.com/images/Rabbis%20learning%20repro%20big-border.jpg.
ReplyDeleteThe man holding up his hand is protecting himself from the sun shining in through the open window. I couldn't help thinking of the story from the hagadda when they learned till it was time to say shma. Then I found another version, also without the window http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&rlz=1C1SKPC_enIL357IL358&biw=1280&bih=899&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=r-M8qYC7DY8ffM:&imgrefurl=http://ppaintinga.com/learning-paintings/&docid=G6fidtxnwRfloM&imgurl=http://judaica-art.com/images/uploads/Rabbis%252520Learning%2525201-border.jpg&w=501&h=376&ei=peUDUOrVL5OL4gTVtvz2Bw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=980&vpy=490&dur=12888&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=161&ty=87&sig=113328546025454495159&page=1&tbnh=179&tbnw=238&start=0&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:21,s:0,i:142
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ReplyDeleteLook at this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jewish-Art-Judaica-Oil-Attr-to-B-Werner-Rabbis-Talmudic-/170561549298?pt=Art_Paintings&hash=item27b642b3f2#ht_1780wt_1185
ReplyDeleteDo you think it could be a copy of the paintings by B Werner?
ReplyDeleteGillian I am going to follow all your leads and report back. Thanks.
DeleteGillian Kaye - you've cracked it. It does seem to be a copy (one of many with a variety of backgrounds and styles of dress, fewer or more characters included, etc...)of the painting by B. Werner. Werner was a 19th/20th Century German artist. You can google him. The painting is called: A Difference of Opinion (with various translations of those words).
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Gillian.
Wow! Thank you Gillian. Is there any way to identify the artist who copied it? I have a copy with the S. Leyon? Leijons? Lejons? Leyons? signature. If anyone finds out please email me at yanksrockla04@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI'll make sure Gillian gets this message. Thanks.
DeleteThis email cam this morning:
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel,
I sent a reply to you via your blog but it didn’t seem to accept it – looks like I needed to log in somewhere . Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for updating us all who have wondered about our copies of the painting. Even my next door neighbor has one!
The odd thing is that there are so very many copies of a painting of which the original was done by an artist who apparently isn’t so well known!
Good work!
Candice