Jean David, Romanian Modernist Gouache Painting Of Buildings And Boats - Jean David

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Jean David was a painter and designer, known for his contributions to the Romanian avant-garde and to the early modernist … Read more Jean David was a painter and designer, known for his contributions to the Romanian avant-garde and to the early modernist art of Israel (then recently founded). He was the first Israeli artist to be inducted into the illustrious Alliance Graphique Nationale in 1954.

He had studied between 1927 and 1937 at various art academies in Paris. In 1929 he participated for the first time at a collective exhibition in Bucharest and in 1933 he had his first personal exhibition (in the same city). In the early '30s he was a member of the Surrealist group "unu" (meaning "one"). In 1942, he left Romania in a boat with 12 other Jews, including Theodor Brauner, the brother of Victor Brauner. After being captured by British authorities in Cyprus, he managed to reach Palestine in 1944. In 1949 he went to live in Jerusalem, where he was active in developing ceramic arts, sculpture works in copper, and artistic tapestry wall hangings under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Together with Marcel Janco, he founded in Israel the artist village known as Ein Hod. He also gained much reputation as a muralist and graphic and poster designer, having designed numerous posters and other works for the El Al air company, Maccabiah games, Zim shipping and The Israel tourist industry. David’s primary importance was in the design of posters. He used a wildly colorful decorative style in his art, which combined illustration, caricature, and national figures. In addition he designed wall hangings for “Maskit,” and also worked in the decoration of public buildings. His paintings had elements of Surrealism and included images from nature and landscapes. Similar in style to David Klein and the Polish Cyrk posters.
Forms From Israel, Mounting Exhibition, USA, 1958 Artists: El Hanani (Sapozhnikow), Arie Azaz, Nehemiah Boris Carmi, Hanna Harag Zunz, David, Jean David Gumbel, Keiner Forcheimer, Julia Mansfeld, Al Merom, Peter Mayer, Jean Palombo, David Rau, Heinz Rechter, Yaakov Schatz, Bezalel (Lilik) Schatz, Louise Ogen, Gedula Bergner, Audrey Kauffman, Richard Avigdor Arikha, Dan Gelbart.
New Art in Israel - Third Exhibition Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Helena Rubinstein Pavilion, 1961
Artists: Shimon Avny, Zahara Schatz, Bezalel Schatz, Bezalel (Lilik) Moshe Sternschuss, Raffi Lavie, Shmuel Ra'Ayoni, Ruth Zarfati, Moshe Propes, Israel Paldi, Yohanan Simon, Lea Nikel, Aharon Kahana, Marcel Janco, Yosl Bergner, Michal Argov, Eloul Kosso Aviva Uri.
He also showed with the Ofakim Hadashim the New Horizons group
Education
1927 Architectural studies, Paris, France
1927 Painting, École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts de Paris, Paris, France
1930 Painting, Academie de la Grande Chaumiere, Paris, France; Académie Scandinave, Paris, France; Nouvelle Academie Libre, Paris, France

Awards And Prizes
1954 Gold and silver medal, Triennial for Applied Art, Milan, Italy
1960 Dizengoff Prize for Painting and Sculpture
1960 Two silver medals, poster exhibition, Tokyo, Japan See less