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Moshe Castel
ANCIENT HEBREW WRITING Original Etching, Abstract Letters Turquoise, Black, Gold

c.1979

$800
£607.19
€699.83
CA$1,121.14
A$1,251.29
CHF 658.32
MX$15,199.69
NOK 8,345.75
SEK 7,810.57
DKK 5,223.11

About the Item

ANCIENT HEBREW WRITING by the Israeli artist Moshe Castel (1909-1991) is an original etching and aquatint printed in colors with carborundum using traditional hand intaglio techniques on archival printmaking paper 100% acid free. ANCIENT HEBREW WRITING presents a visually appealing composition comprised of abstract black vertical linear forms with a printed ancient Hebrew parchment page superimposed in the center, enhanced by a stone-like textured turquoise background. Print size - 27.5 x 21.5 in., unframed, excellent condition, rare unsigned working proof printed by hand at Haifa Art Printers Israel, embossed with printer's chop mark on lower corner, Provenance - gift from the artist Image size - 23 x 17.25 in. Year - c. 1979 Printer - Haifa Art Printers Israel Provenance - gift from the artist Moshe Castel Moshe Elazar Castel born in Jerusalem, Ottoman Palestine, in 1909, to Rabbi Yehuda Castel and his wife Rachel. The family was descended from Spanish Jews from Castile who immigrated to the Holy Land after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492. Castel attended his father’s school until the age of 13. He went on to study at the Bezalel Art School in Jerusalem, where he was encouraged by his teacher to study in Paris furthering his art education at the Academie Julian and Ecole de Louvre in Paris. He was greatly influenced by European masters Rembrandt, Velasquez, Delacroix and Courbert after spending his days copying their works hanging in the Louvre. Castel returned to Palestine at the onset of WWII. The subject of Castel’s early paintings were scenes of Sephardic Jews in the Holy Land. In 1947, Castel helped to found the "New Horizons" (Ofakim Hadashim) group together with Yosef Zaritsky, Yehezkel Streichman, Marcel Janco and others. During the 1950s, his artwork changed style reflecting his inspiration from ancient relief paintings depicting predecessors of the Jewish people. These paintings were surrounded by ancient ruins of basalt stone blocks, which later on became the foundation for his unique artistic technique. In 1955, a solo exhibition of his works was mounted at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. His murals hang in the Knesset, Binyanei Hauma Convention Center, Rockefeller Center in New York, and the official residence of the President of Israel in Jerusalem. In 1959, he purchased a studio in Montparnasse where he worked for several months a year. Castel used actual ground basalt, mixed with sand and glue, to then form into different shapes which he then engraved. The engravings, evocative of stone writing tablets, were derived from numerous ancient symbols of Hebrew culture. Moshe Castel produced two major commissions for the Israeli government, consisting of large reliefs in his signature style. A large collection of the Mr. Castel’s artwork can be viewed at the Moshe Castel Musuem of Art outside of Jerusalem.
  • Creator:
    Moshe Castel (1909 - 1991, Israeli)
  • Creation Year:
    c.1979
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 27.5 in (69.85 cm)Width: 21.5 in (54.61 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    Very fine condition, vivid colors, never been framed, rare unsigned Working Proof, printers chop mark embossed on lower margin, provenance - gift from the artist.
  • Gallery Location:
    Union City, NJ
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU832316284752

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