Arthur Szyk drawing

Identifier
irn4777
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 1991.190.1
Dates
1 Jan 1940 - 31 Dec 1940
Level of Description
Item
Source
EHRI Partner

Extent and Medium

overall: Height: 15.510 inches (39.395 cm) | Width: 11.500 inches (29.21 cm) | Depth: 0.980 inches (2.489 cm)

Creator(s)

Biographical History

Arthur Szyk (1894-1951) was born to Jewish parents, Solomon and Eugenia Szyk in Łódź, Poland, which at the time was part of the Russian Empire. He had his first public art exhibition at age 15, and then went to Paris, France, for formal art training at the Academie Julian. He visited Palestine in 1914 with a group of Polish-Jewish artists and studied Muslim art. Upon his return, he was conscripted into the Russian Army and served in World War I. He married Julia Liekerman in 1916, and they had a son, George, in 1917. In 1918, Poland regained independence, but continued to fight a series of regional wars to secure its boundaries. Between 1919 and 1920, during Poland's war against the Soviet Bolsheviks, Syzk served as a cavalry officer and artistic director of the Department of Propaganda for the Polish Army in Łódź. In 1921, he and his family moved to Paris where his daughter, Alexandra was born the following year. Szyk was well known for his illuminations and book illustrations, in a style reminiscent of Persian miniatures. He worked on several significant projects in France, including illustrating the Statute of Kalisz, the Haggadah, and a series of watercolors on the American Revolutionary War. The themes of his most admired works, democracy and Judaism, were already well established, earning him both fame and significant commissions. In 1934, Szyk traveled to the United States for exhibitions of his work and to receive the George Washington Bicentennial Medal, awarded by the US Congress. He resided in England from 1937-1940 to supervise the publication of the Haggadah. In 1939, following Germany's invasion of Poland, he focused on producing anti-Nazi editorial cartoons published in many Western newspapers and magazines. During the German occupation of Poland, his 70 year old mother, Eugenia, and her Polish companion were forced to live in the Łódź ghetto. In 1943, they were transported to Majdanek concentration camp and killed. In late 1940, Szyk immigrated to the United States with his family. He became a leading anti-Fascist political caricaturist as well as an advocate for Jewish rescue. In addition to his widely published satirical art, Szyk devoted a great deal of time and energy to the Emergency Committee to Save the Jewish People of Europe, and pushed for the establishment of an independent Jewish state in Palestine. Szyk received his US citizenship in 1948. In 1951, he was investigated by the United States House Un-American Activities Committee as a suspected Communist. His son, speaking on his behalf, declared his non-affiliation with any Communist organization. Later that year, on September 13, Szyk suffered a heart attack and died at age 57.

Archival History

Created by Arthur Szyk, 1940, London, England. Acquired by Mr. Meeks (donor's patient), 1940-1941. Purchased by Dr. Leo Solet from Mr. Meeks, 1946. Donated to the USHMM in 1991 by Dr. Leo Solet.

Acquisition

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Leo Solet

Scope and Content

Drawing, untitled. Watercolor and ink on paper. Matted and framed image depicting an old woman and a young boy. Both are wearing white armbands with a blue Star of David. She has a sack on her shoulder and the boy is carrying a cane or walking stick. Signed, "Arthur Szyk, London, 1940," in the upper right hand corner. Taped to the back is a piece of paper which reads, "To Mrs. Meeks with compliments of Arthur Szyk (signature), Washington, Jan. 1942." London, England.

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on access

Conditions Governing Reproduction

No restrictions on use

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Drawing, untitled. Watercolor and ink on paper. Matted and framed image depicting an old woman and a young boy. Both are wearing white armbands with a blue Star of David. She has a sack on her shoulder and the boy is carrying a cane or walking stick. Signed, "Arthur Szyk, London, 1940," in the upper right hand corner. Taped to the back is a piece of paper which reads, "To Mrs. Meeks with compliments of Arthur Szyk (signature), Washington, Jan. 1942." London, England.

People

Genre

This description is derived directly from structured data provided to EHRI by a partner institution. This collection holding institution considers this description as an accurate reflection of the archival holdings to which it refers at the moment of data transfer.