Reuven Rubin 1893-1974

Goldman Gallery, Haifa
Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Lipson, Atlanta
Acquired from above by the present owner

 

Overall good condition. Canvas has not been lined. Under UV: No apparent inpainting.
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The authenticity of this work has kindly been confirmed by Carmela Rubin.

Reuven Rubin was drawn to the holy city of Jerusalem since his early years. Arriving in Palestine for the first time in 1912, the artist spent a year studying at the Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts in Jerusalem and when he returned 10 years later he initially lived in the Yemin Moshe quarter of the city before settling in the new city of Tel Aviv. Rubin's fascination with this sacred city continued through out his lifetime, returning again and again to depict it in all its splendour, although always standing back with awe at a respectful distance.  

"Rubin's poetic-mystic approach becomes even more noticeable in his paintings of the thirties. The small details of little stone houses, paths, trees, camels and donkeys gradually diminish and disappear altogether. Instead, his layers of paint become richer and more tactile. Yet, in spite of the abundant use of paint, the impression created is vague and hazy. The olive trees blend into the surrounding space, the Dome of the Rock is seen behind the wall, and even the wall seems to lose its material weight. This becomes even more evident when Rubin returned to Jerusalem after the Six-Day War in 1967. The city was united again, the old city accessible, but for Rubin the legend of Jerusalem prevailed, and its landscapes remained a poetic vision originating in the mind of the artist and nurtured by his life-long love for the city." (Carmela Rubin, Rubin Jerusalem Landscapes In Honour of Israel's 40th Anniversary, Rubin Museum, Tel Aviv, 1988).