Portrait of a Rabbi

Isidor Kaufmann (1853-1921)
Arguably the most sucessful Jewish artist, Isidor Kaufmann (1853-1921) had a huge impact on Jewish art. Born in Hungary, Kaufmann began painting at the age of fourteen, and soon went to study in Budapest at the National Academy of Art. In 1876 he moved to Vienna, to study there, and settled in Vienna. Kaufmann is known for his superb paintings of the shtetl Jew - the poor Jew living in the ghetto. As opposed to other artists, Kaufmann's Jews almost always appeared in their Sabbath finery - giving a regal impression; he didn't portray the Jews in the rags they wore the rest of the week. Kaufmann's paintings are quite popular, with prices reaching $150,000 - $200,000 and higher.


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