Auction 87 - Jewish and Israeli Art, History and Culture
Including: sketches by Ze'ev Raban and Bezalel items, hildren's books, avant-garde books, rare ladino periodicals, and more
Ze'ev Raban (1890-1970) – Sketchbook – Jerusalem, 1920s
Opening: $1,000
Sold for: $2,500
Including buyer's premium
Ze'ev Raban (1890-1970), sketchbook. [Jerusalem, 1920s].
Pencil, pen, ink, and watercolor on paper.
Some 40 leaves (loose leaves, detached from sketchbook) with dozens of sketches and drawings, in various states of completion. Includes: • Illustrations to Bialik's "King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba". • Illustrations to Bialik's "Solomon and Ashmedai". • A drawing depicting Mattathias with the corpse of the Hellenized Jew by the altar, and an illustration depicting Eleazar Maccabeus (HaMakabi) slaying a war elephant. • Sketch for a receipt for the sum of 5 Kuruş (Grush) – given for a donation made to the "National Council of the Jewish community of Palestine" (eventually printed in Meir Gur Arye's design). • Sketch for a bookplate. • Sketch of a playing card. • A series of sketches for illustrations to the Book of Genesis: The Creation of the World, Eve and the Snake, the Expulsion from Eden, and Cain and Abel; a sketch for the title page of a book titled "Illustrated Legends of Israel" (Hebrew), for which the aforementioned illustrations were probably made. It seems that this book was never published. A different version of the sketch titled "the Creation of the World" is featured on the cover of the catalogue "Raban Remembered". • Sketch for the title page of the Hebrew magazine "Ganenu". • Sketch for a logo of the Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium. • Sketches for headstones. • A finished logo for the Miriam Publishing House, Jerusalem. • Sketches of jewelry designs. • Sketch of a Torah finial. • Sketch of a hanging lamp. • Initial sketch of a Hanukkah lamp (manufactured by the Sharar Workshop. See: Ze'ev Raban: a Hebrew Symbolist, p. 78. Item 82). • Sketch of a Torah ark curtain. • Sketch of a Mezuzah. • A label with a dedication to the artist's mother, Rivka Reizil Ravitski, who perished in the Warsaw Ghetto. • Many additional sketches, some in early stages of development, showing motifs which were prevalent in Raban's work throughout the years.
Many of these sketches were featured in the catalogue "Raban Remembered".
Leaves: approx. 33X24 cm. Loose leaves, detached from sketchbook. Condition varies. Marginal tears. Stains and wear. Some leaves cut. Sketchbook cover worn and damaged.
Literature: Raban Remembered: Jerusalem's Forgotten Master. New York: Yeshiva University, 1982.
Provenance: Estate of Shlomo Kedmi.
Pencil, pen, ink, and watercolor on paper.
Some 40 leaves (loose leaves, detached from sketchbook) with dozens of sketches and drawings, in various states of completion. Includes: • Illustrations to Bialik's "King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba". • Illustrations to Bialik's "Solomon and Ashmedai". • A drawing depicting Mattathias with the corpse of the Hellenized Jew by the altar, and an illustration depicting Eleazar Maccabeus (HaMakabi) slaying a war elephant. • Sketch for a receipt for the sum of 5 Kuruş (Grush) – given for a donation made to the "National Council of the Jewish community of Palestine" (eventually printed in Meir Gur Arye's design). • Sketch for a bookplate. • Sketch of a playing card. • A series of sketches for illustrations to the Book of Genesis: The Creation of the World, Eve and the Snake, the Expulsion from Eden, and Cain and Abel; a sketch for the title page of a book titled "Illustrated Legends of Israel" (Hebrew), for which the aforementioned illustrations were probably made. It seems that this book was never published. A different version of the sketch titled "the Creation of the World" is featured on the cover of the catalogue "Raban Remembered". • Sketch for the title page of the Hebrew magazine "Ganenu". • Sketch for a logo of the Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium. • Sketches for headstones. • A finished logo for the Miriam Publishing House, Jerusalem. • Sketches of jewelry designs. • Sketch of a Torah finial. • Sketch of a hanging lamp. • Initial sketch of a Hanukkah lamp (manufactured by the Sharar Workshop. See: Ze'ev Raban: a Hebrew Symbolist, p. 78. Item 82). • Sketch of a Torah ark curtain. • Sketch of a Mezuzah. • A label with a dedication to the artist's mother, Rivka Reizil Ravitski, who perished in the Warsaw Ghetto. • Many additional sketches, some in early stages of development, showing motifs which were prevalent in Raban's work throughout the years.
Many of these sketches were featured in the catalogue "Raban Remembered".
Leaves: approx. 33X24 cm. Loose leaves, detached from sketchbook. Condition varies. Marginal tears. Stains and wear. Some leaves cut. Sketchbook cover worn and damaged.
Literature: Raban Remembered: Jerusalem's Forgotten Master. New York: Yeshiva University, 1982.
Provenance: Estate of Shlomo Kedmi.
Bezalel Artists – Books, Judaica and Original Art – Including Sketches by Ze'ev Raban and other Items from the Estate of Shlomo Kedmi
Bezalel Artists – Books, Judaica and Original Art – Including Sketches by Ze'ev Raban and other Items from the Estate of Shlomo Kedmi