Isidor Kaufmann

Georg (George) Leopold Kaufmann (acquired directly from the artist, his father)
Walter Kaufmann (by descent from the above, his father)
Thence by descent to the daughter of the above
Acquired by the present owner in September 2009

G. Tobias Natter, ed., Rabbiner, Bocher, Talmudschüler, Bilder des Wiener Malers Isidor Kaufmann 1853-1921, exh. cat., Jüdisches Museum der Stadt Wien, Vienna, 1995, illustrated p. 99

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.: This wooden panel still shows its original reinforcements on the reverse. The paint layer is clean and may never have been restored or damaged. It has hopefully been kept behind glass for its entire life. It is in lovely condition and should be hung as is.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

In his Portrait of a Rabbi, Kaufmann reflects the pride and admiration he felt for the religious life and heritage of  his Jewish faith. Though Kaufmann lived in Vienna with all the urban comforts available to an artist of great reputation and wealth, his summer visits to Eastern European shtetls allowed him to observe the architectural and religious traditions which he sensed were part of a disappearing world.

In the present painting, Kaufmann endows the sitter with a sense of  solemnity and great wisdom. The artist skillfully paints the intricate surface details of the Rabbi's soft wrinkled skin and bushy, white beard, complimenting the thick fur trim of his streimel and white cloth of the tallit which envelops him. According to Tobias Natter, the streimel was worn by observant Jews throughout the year for Sabbath and religious festivals. Like many elements of traditional Ashkenazi clothing, it was originally derived from old Polish male attire; however, over the course of time, it became a typically Jewish hat worn in most regions of Poland, Lithuania, Russia, the Ukraine and North Hungary (Natter, p. 214).

The work is painted on one of the artist's typical wooden panels, many shipped from an English supplier. The wood was the perfect support for the finely applied pigments, building layers of colored glazes and intricate details made by a fine brush. The front view, which Kaufmann typically favored, placed the viewer's perspective slightly below the figure's gaze. This allows for a careful study of the Rabbi's form set against a colored torah ark curtain with rich, garnet tones highlighted by gold thread embroidery. The result of such careful examination reveals that Kaufmann, more than any other artist of his generation, vividly captured the essence of the religious Jews of the eastern provinces in their dignified settings.

As confirmed by the artist's great-grandaughter, Portrait of a Rabbi was given to the arist's first-born son Georg (George) Leopold, and remained in generations of the Kaufmann family before entering the present owner's collection.