Isaac Friedlander, RARE WPA ARTIST ISAAC FRIEDLANDER Judaica Drawing 1946, 1946

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Artist: Friedlander, Isaac American (1890-1968) Isac Friedlander Latvian-born American Printmaker, 1890-1968 was born in Mitau, Latvia. He studied art at … Read more Artist: Friedlander, Isaac American (1890-1968) Isac Friedlander Latvian-born American Printmaker, 1890-1968 was born in Mitau, Latvia. He studied art at the Academy of Rome. He was befriended by the Russian writer Maxim Gorky and began his print career in 1917. In 1929 he emigrated to the United States. A prolific etcher and wood engraver, his work emphasizes the imagery of his native Riga, the urban spectacle of New York during the Depression and the horror of the Holocaust. WPA Artist. Best known as a printmaker, Friedlander created strong, expressive woodcuts and etchings, often focusing on the human figure at work. His prints include imagery of scenes from his native, rural Latvia and his adopted home, the urban milieu of New York City during the Depression. He was particularly interested in religious subjects, and some of his best-known works contain religious themes, including the Jewish experience, the Holocaust, and African American church services. Friedlander’s prints convey tremendous emotional resonance through his consummate skill with line. Isac Friedlander lived a volatile and exciting life. Born in Latvia in 1890 to a family of political activists, he was imprisoned by Russian authorities for anti-Czarist activities at the age of 16 in 1906, and remained in jail until 1912. After his release, Friedlander studied art in Rome, where the Russian writer Maxim Gorky befriended him. He began concentrating on printmaking in 1915. In 1917, Friedlander was repatriated to Russia, where, during the first heady days of the Russian Revolution and the subsequent short-lived liberal Kerensky regime, he became an arts commissar in the fledgling Soviet republic. However, he became increasingly disillusioned with Soviet realities. Friedlander eventually immigrated to the US in 1929 with the encouragement and help of his cousin, Joseph Hirshhorn. Friedlander married a former artists’ model and settled in New York, where he remained for the rest of his life. A touching portrait of Isac Friedlander and his wife, Gilda, can be seen in the foreground of the print “Coney Island.” Financially, in spite of the many accolades that he won throughout his long career, including prizes from the prestigious Print Club of Philadelphia, the Friedlanders struggled. Patrons like Dr. Munster, a close family friend, and Joseph Hirshhorn, helped keep the family afloat. In the late 1950s, Friedlander befriended a young artist and friend of his daughter, Joseph Gianguzzi, who kindly lent additional works from his extensive Friedlander collection to this exhibition. "A prolific etcher and wood engraver, Isac Friedlander came to the United States in 1929. Friedlander's work emphasizes the imagery of his native Riga, the urban spectacle of New York during the Depression, and the sufferings of his fellow Jews in the Holocaust. Biographical notes: Born April 22, 1890 in Mitau, Latvia. Arrested and imprisoned by Russian authorities for anti-Czarist political activities, 1906-12. Studied art at the Academy of Rome, Italy; befriended by Russian writer Maxim Gorky, 1913-17. Began printing career, 1915. Repatriated to Russia during the Kerensky regime, 1917. Emigrated to the U.S. with the encouragement of cousin Joseph Hirshhorn, 1929. Designed dustjacket for Black Manhattan by James Weldon Johnson, 1930. Awarded first prize for the print 'Revival' at the 8th Annual Print Club of Philadelphia Exhibition, 1934. Awarded first prize for the print 'Spiritual' at the 17th Annual Print Club of Philadelphia Exhibition, 1943. Selected as outstanding etcher in the Britannica Book of the Year, 1947. Awarded the Lilienthal Purchase Prize by the California Society of Etchers for 'Ecclesiastes,' 1960. Died August 23, 1968 in New York City. See less