Lasarre Judavics-Paneth, Scholar in His Study, 1902, Oil Painting

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Lasarre Judavics-Paneth (1870 Königsberg–after 1912), Scholar in His Study, 1902. Oil on wood, 47 cm x 31 cm (image size), … Read more Lasarre Judavics-Paneth (1870 Königsberg–after 1912), Scholar in His Study, 1902. Oil on wood, 47 cm x 31 cm (image size), 60 cm x 46 cm (frame), signed “J.[udavics] Paneth” and dated “1902” in the lower left corner.

- Painting in excellent condition, frame with retouched areas of damage




- The Realization -



An elderly gentleman is bent over a book, examining a passage of text very closely. He gazes intently through his delicate spectacles, adjusting them with one hand while reaching between the pages of the book with the other. It is a moment of insight that is brought to life in the depiction. The scholar, dressed in a black robe, has risen from his wingback chair in response to his discovery and is captivated by what he has read. The books surrounding him are the tangible manifestation of accumulated knowledge, which is reactivated through reading and gives rise to new insights. This atmosphere of living knowledge is expressed in the light streaming through the window into the studiolo, casting shadows on the wall, the back of the chair, the spines of the books, and above all, the scholar’s head. This light of inspiration will also prompt the scholar to take up his pen to write down his insights, which will eventually be available in book form as well. See less