Mane-Katz
Encyclopedia
Emmanuel Mané-Katz, born Mane Leyzerovich Kats (1894–1962), was a Jewish painter born in Kremenchuk
, Ukraine
, best known for his depictions of the Jewish shtetl
in Eastern Europe.
. There he became friends with Pablo Picasso
and other important artists, and was affiliated with an art movement known as the Jewish School of Paris.
In 1931, Mane-Katz's painting, "The Wailing Wall," was awarded a gold medal at the Paris World's Fair.
Early on, his style was classical and somber, but his palette changed in later years to bright, primary colors, with an emphasis on Jewish themes. His oils feature Hassidic characters, rabbis, Jewish musicians, beggars, yeshiva students and scenes from the East European shtetl.
Mane-Katz made his first trip to Palestine
in 1928, and thereafter visited the country annually. He said his real home was Paris, but his spiritual home was Eretz Yisrael, the Land of Israel
.
to the city of Haifa
, Israel. Four years before his death, the mayor of Haifa, Abba Hushi
, provided him with a building on Mt. Carmel to house his work, which became the Mane-Katz Museum. The exhibit includes Mane-Katz's oils, showing a progressive change in style over the years, a signed portrait of the artist by Picasso dated 1932 and a large collection of Jewish ritual objects.
In 1953, Mane-Katz donated eight of his paintings to the Glitzenstein Museum in Safed
, whose artists quarter attracted leading Israeli artists in the 1950s and 1960s, and housed some of the country's most important galleries.
Kremenchuk
Kremenchuk is an important industrial city in the Poltava Oblast of central Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Kremenchutskyi Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast, and is located on the banks of Dnieper River.-History:Kremenchuk was...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
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...
, best known for his depictions of the Jewish shtetl
Shtetl
A shtetl was typically a small town with a large Jewish population in Central and Eastern Europe until The Holocaust. Shtetls were mainly found in the areas which constituted the 19th century Pale of Settlement in the Russian Empire, the Congress Kingdom of Poland, Galicia and Romania...
in Eastern Europe.
Biography
Mane-Katz moved to Paris at the age of 19 to study art, although his father wanted him to be a rabbiRabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
. There he became friends with Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
and other important artists, and was affiliated with an art movement known as the Jewish School of Paris.
In 1931, Mane-Katz's painting, "The Wailing Wall," was awarded a gold medal at the Paris World's Fair.
Early on, his style was classical and somber, but his palette changed in later years to bright, primary colors, with an emphasis on Jewish themes. His oils feature Hassidic characters, rabbis, Jewish musicians, beggars, yeshiva students and scenes from the East European shtetl.
Mane-Katz made his first trip to Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
in 1928, and thereafter visited the country annually. He said his real home was Paris, but his spiritual home was Eretz Yisrael, the Land of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Mane-Katz museum
Mane-Katz left his paintings and extensive personal collection of Jewish ethnographyEthnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
to the city of Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, Israel. Four years before his death, the mayor of Haifa, Abba Hushi
Abba Hushi
Abba Hushi was an Israeli politician who served as mayor of Haifa for eighteen years between 1951 to 1969. Hushi was one of the founders and activists of Hashomer Hatzair movement in Poland. In July 1920, he immigrated to Palestine with a group of 130 Jewish pioneers. In Palestine, he took the...
, provided him with a building on Mt. Carmel to house his work, which became the Mane-Katz Museum. The exhibit includes Mane-Katz's oils, showing a progressive change in style over the years, a signed portrait of the artist by Picasso dated 1932 and a large collection of Jewish ritual objects.
In 1953, Mane-Katz donated eight of his paintings to the Glitzenstein Museum in Safed
Safed
Safed , is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of , Safed is the highest city in the Galilee and of Israel. Due to its high elevation, Safed experiences warm summers and cold, often snowy, winters...
, whose artists quarter attracted leading Israeli artists in the 1950s and 1960s, and housed some of the country's most important galleries.
External links
- http://www.marblearchfinearts.com/manekatz/mane_katz_bio_p.html
- http://www.mede-gallery.com/katz.html
- http://www.artnet.de/Galleries/Artists_detail.asp?G=&gid=130779&which=&aid=9284&ViewArtistBy=online&rta=http://www.artnet.de
- http://www.jewishideasdaily.com/content/module/2011/4/21/main-feature/1/not-marc-chagall "Not Marc Chagall"