Reuven Rubin

Joseph Stieglitz, Tel Aviv
Acquired from the above by the parents of the present owner circa 1975

Tel Aviv, Rubin Museum, Home Visit - Rubin's Paintings from Public and Private Collections, April-September 1998, illustrated in the exhibition catalogue, p. 17-18

This picture appears to be in excellent condition, having been well cared for during its lifetime. The canvas is flat and taut on its stretcher. It is in its original unlined state, and no buckling is present, despite the thick application of weight. The tacking edges have been taped to protect against any abrasion from the rabbet of its frame. The surface has a mute and slightly yellowed appearance, which is likely due to the artist’s oil rich technique, rather than any yellowed varnish on the surface. Further chemical tests could be done to confirm this. Light surface soot may also account for some of its mute appearance. Inspection under ultraviolet light shows some loose retouching in spots around the edges, most notably along the left edge and in the right of the top edge. These retouches are quite old and are under a varnish. Their loose handling and lack of an accurate color match may suggest the work of an artist rather than that of a trained conservator. It is quite possible that these are Rubin’s own retouches, correcting some minor paint gaps prior to sale or exhibition. There are no issues of concern with this painting, and it can be hung as is in its current condition. The above condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Jerusalem Seen from Mt. Scopus is one of the most important views of Jerusalem to appear at auction. This work was included with four other Jerusalem views from various periods in the important 1998 exhibition Home Visit - Rubin's Paintings from Public and Private Collections at the Rubin Museum in Tel Aviv. In her discussion of these Jerusalem landscapes, Carmela Rubin wrote: "The earlier painting, dating from the late 1920s, is still part of Rubin's early naive period. The colors however, have become darker and deeper, anticipating a more impressionistic and tonal style that would evolve in Rubin's art during the 1930's. Rubin painted Jerusalem throughout the sixty years that he lived in Palestine and then Israel. He admitted to feeling 'at home' even upon first arriving in Jerusalem, in 1912, at the age of eighteen to study art in Bezalel... Jerusalem, however, always retained its magic for him, something well reflected in his many depictions of the city on canvas... he revered Jerusalem to such an extent that he rarely painted it from within or from close by. When he painted Jerusalem, he kept at a distance, seemingly, unable to allow himself the same intimacy characteristic of his Tel Aviv paintings. Seen from a distance, the city is captured in a wide panoramic angle, with the hills and the wall surrounding it and the paths climbing up to it. The image conceived on canvas is that of a remote city, elevated and enclosed within its walls. In his early naive paintings, Rubin tended to treat the minutest of details of the setting or the landscape with much attention. Whether from a close view point or from a distance, he would not overlook a single house, a plant, a tree, camels passing by, donkeys and their riders, a winding dirt path. All were meticulously rendered on canvas, as though delicately stitched onto the cloth of an intricate work of embroidery, encapsulating singularly the artist's wonder and enchantment with his new surroundings."  (Carmela Rubin in Home Visit - Rubin's Paintings from Public and Private Collections, Rubin Museum, Tel Aviv, p. 18).