Colorful (naïve) illustration of the Western Wall, attributed to Yosef Zvi Geiger. [Safed, turn of the 20th century].
A colorful illustration of the Western Wall and the Holy Sites. Surrounded by a floral decoration, with illustrations of a leopard, eagle, gazelle and a lion in the four corners ("Be strong as a leopard, and swift as an eagle, and fleet as a gazelle, and brave as a lion…"). Attributed to the painter Yosef Zvi Geiger (according to the owner, the illustration comes from the estate of the artist). Unsigned.
Rabbi Yosef Zvi Geiger (1870-1944), fourth generation in Safed, worked as a scribe, author and illustrator, and was a renowned Safed artist.
Approx. 47X61 cm. Good-fair condition. Some tears, creases and stains, folding marks. Framed. Unexamined out of frame.
Literature:
1. Omanut Ve-Umanut Be'Eretz Israel Ba-Mea Ha-Tesha Esreh [Arts and Crafts in Eretz Israel in the 19th century (Hebrew)], The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 1979, p. 133-139.
2. Binyamin Geiger - One of Safed Elders (Hebrew), (2011), pp. 22-47.
Provenance: Collection of Willy Lindwer.