Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 12

Arieh Merzer
Large Judaica Copper Repousse Sculpture Relief Plaque Arie Merzer Bezalel Era

c.1950'S

About the Item

Arieh Merzer (Israeli, 1905-1966) Copper relief sculpture panel in gilt frame Framed dimensions 18 X 26.25, copper 14.5 X 22.5 Arieh Merzer was a prominent Israeli artist and folk art metal worker. Arie Merzer, an artist who worked in hand-hammered copper, was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1905, the scion of a large Hassidic family. He graduated from the Academy of Arts in Warsaw, and became the pupil of Professor Adam Richtarski. He later worked with a group of Jewish artists who wanted to resuscitate the ancient oriental-Jewish craft of hand-hammering metal (metaloplastica), which was passed on to us as a legacy by far-off generations from the time of the Bible. In 1928 Aryeh Merzer exhibited his works in Warsaw for the first time. From 1930 he lived and worked in Paris. He was one of the Jewish artists who gathered there and were known as the Jewish 'Ecole de Paris.' Merzer regularly exhibited in the well-known 'Salon d'Automne' and 'Salon des Tuileries,' as well as in solo exhibitions in Paris and throughout France. Arieh Merzer's work was highly acclaimed well before the Holocaust, before it became a memorial to a world destroyed. He portrayed the story of the Jewish spirit on copper, on silver, and on gold: stories from the Bible, the life-styles of the Jews in their shtetls and ghettos, of Chassidim and Kabbalists of renown, of wars of liberation and revival. A special stress was placed on the link between the new Jewish experience and its historical nucleus. His major innovation was the moulding of mystic and traditional Jewish motifs, that surrounded the Holy Ark in Europe's burning synagogues, and presenting the results before the world of modern art. As a result he became generally recognized as an international Jewish artist. In 1943, when France was conquered by the Nazis, Arieh Merzer escaped from a concentration camp, and after a stint in the maquis, he crossed the border into Switzerland and was sent to a labor camp. Later, he arrived in Geneva, where an album of sketches of his works was put out. In 1945 he made aliyah to Israel with his family, settled in Safed, and helped to found the Artists' Quarter there. Arieh Merzer lived and worked in Israel for twenty-one years. His exhibitions in the country include: 1946 in the Tel Aviv Museum; 1947 in the Pevsner Artists' Pavilion in Haifa; 1951 in the Artists' Pavilion in Tel Aviv; 1955 in the Museum for Modern Art in Haifa; 1955 in the Artists' Pavilion in Jerusalem; and 1957 in the Tel Aviv Museum. His works were also on permanent show in his atelier in Safed. He was awarded prizes, including: the Herman Struck prize in 1946; the Dizengoff prize in 1951 and then again in 1965; and the Mayor of Haifa's prize in 1954. His works appear in numerous museums and collections throughout the country and abroad. His heart stopped beating on the eve of Holocaust Day, 1966. Arieh Merzer, who was brought up in a Hassidic family, was drawn to the world of art from an early age; he was influenced by the moods and new ideals of the socialist circles and prepared himself to study art in the academy. On Passover eve , after clearing out the bread, while the rest of the household was busy preparing for the Holiday, a book fell from the bookcase and from out its pages flew dozens of sketches and drawings of nudes that the young Arieh had prepared for his folio for the entrance examinations to the academy. His sisters tore up the drawings with cries of treyfe treyfe (ritually non-kosher) and many months' hard work went down the drain. As a result of this, he left his home at the age of fifteen, and later joined a group of young artists who wanted to revive the ancient art of hand-hammered copper - metaloplastics - bequeathed to them by past generations who lived in Bible times. Thus did he part from his family - mother, father, thirteen brothers and sisters - who all perished in the Holocaust. He alone survived, and made an oath that he would commemorate in copper all who had died. Along with Shalom of Safed, Gabriel Cohen, David Sharir, Irene Awret, Natan Heber, Michael Falk and Kopel Gurwin. He is renowned as one of Israel's great naive-style folk art artists, Exhibited: The ''Shtetl'' Yad Vashem Museum, Jerusalem, 1965 Artists: Jankel Adler, Isidor Aschheim, Josef Budko, Samuel Hirszenberg, Arieh Merzer, Jeheskel Kirszenbaum and Jakob Steinhardt. Exhibition: Sculpture in Israel, 1948-1958 Mishkan Museum of Art, Kibbutz Ein Harod. Artists: Zvi Aldouby, Yitzhak Danziger, Arieh Merzer, Dov Feigin, Aaron Priver, David Palombo, Menashe Kadishman, Kosso Eloul, Yehiel Shemi, Zahara Schatz.
  • Creator:
    Arieh Merzer (1905 - 1966, French)
  • Creation Year:
    c.1950'S
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 18 in (45.72 cm)Width: 26.25 in (66.68 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    minor wear.
  • Gallery Location:
    Surfside, FL
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU38213303582

More From This Seller

View All
Rare 1940s Copper Repousse Judaica "Shtetl Cheder Boy" Plaque
By Arieh Merzer
Located in Surfside, FL
Arieh Merzer was a prominent Israeli artist and metal worker. Arie Merzer, an artist who worked in hand-hammered copper, was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1905, the scion of a large Has...
Category

1940s Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Copper

Israeli Mod Arts & Crafts Copper Sculpture Bookends Bezalel Schatz Yaad Studio
By Bezalel Schatz
Located in Surfside, FL
Bezalel Schatz, (1912-1978), Yaad Studio Workshop Mid century modern The standing part is 6 X 5 inches. The copper sheet is 10 X 5 inches each. This is for a pair. they are copper w...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Copper

Judaica Copper Plaque Israeli Artist Mordechai Avniel, Palestine, Bezalel School
By Mordechai Avniel
Located in Surfside, FL
MORDECHAI AVNIEL Minsk, Belarus, b. 1900, d. 1989 Mordechai Avniel is best known for his deft and singular landscape work. He said of his scenes of Israel: "I loved the Israeli landscape. While roaming the country extensively, I gradually absorbed its atmosphere, its lights and moods, the view of mountains and valleys, the Sea of Galilee...
Category

20th Century Modern More Art

Materials

Copper

Rabbi Goren Shofar at Western Wall Jerusalem Copper Embossed Israeli Sculpture
Located in Surfside, FL
Copper repousse hand hammered iconic image, Judaica, Israeli art.Shlomo Goren (Hebrew: שלמה גורן; February 3, 1917 – October 29, 1994), was a Polish-born Israeli Orthodox Religious Zionist rabbi and Talmudic scholar who was considered a foremost authority on Jewish law (Halakha). Goren founded and served as the first head of the Military Rabbinate of the Israel Defense Forces...
Category

20th Century Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Metal, Copper

Holocaust Memorial Polish Sculpture Burnt Wood Metal Judaica Jewish Memorial Art
By Lubomir Tomaszewski
Located in Surfside, FL
This is a large sculpture in 2 parts it lifts off the base. Born in 1923, alumnus of the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts. Student of the Warsaw University of Technology, is an extraord...
Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Iron

Vintage Jerusalem Sculpture Wall Plaque 1930's Palestine Israeli Bezalel School
Located in Surfside, FL
Repousse sculptural plaque from the original Bezalel Art School in Jerusalem. This is marked "Made in Palestine" as it is from the British Mandate period. It is in an Orientalist design of the Tower of David. marked in Hebrew and English. Jerusalem's Bezalel School The Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, was founded in 1906 by Boris Schatz. In 1903, Schatz met Theodore Herzl and became an ardent Zionist. At the Zionist Congress of 1905, he proposed the idea of an art school in the Yishuv (early Jewish settlements), and in 1906 he moved to Israel and founded the Bezalel School of Art in Jerusalem. Bezalel, which was a school for crafts as well as for graphic art, became successful very rapidly. Schatz’s vision was to develop useful arts and crafts among Palestinian Jews, thereby decreasing the dependence on charity. At the same time, he sought to inspire his students to create a Jewish national style of the arts, in order to promote the Zionist endeavor. The inhabitants of 19th-century Palestine, both Jewish and non-Jewish, had produced mostly folk art, ritual objects and olive-wood and shell-work souvenirs, as well as oil painting, sculpture, tapestry and mosaics. So the founding of Bezalel provided a professional and ideological framework for the arts and crafts in Jerusalem. The school employed workers and students, of whom there were 450 in 1913, in manufacturing, chiefly for export, decorative articles ranging from cane furniture, inlaid frames and ivory and wood carvings, to damascene and silver filigree and repousse work. A major part of Schatz’s school was the workshops, which, starting with rug-making and silversmithing, eventually offered 30 different crafts. Workshops included the "Menorah" workshop where they designed relief and souvenirs made of terra-Cotta, and the Sharar, Stanetsky and Alfred Salzmann workshops where Menorah lamps...
Category

20th Century Modern More Art

Materials

Metal

You May Also Like

New World Symphony 5/9
By JD Hansen
Located in Napa, CA
jd Hansen creates art that explores the juxtaposition of vulnerability and strength using the human and animal form. Her work excavates the intricacies of human psychology, non-verba...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze, Copper

Forte I - modern, brass, copper, stone, nylon, contemporary wall sculpture
By Alice Vander Vennen
Located in Bloomfield, ON
Enigmatic and engaging, Alice Vander Vennen’s contemporary compositions always tell a story. Created by hand, this intricately detailed mixed media piece is made from an eclectic ass...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials

Stone, Copper

Illumine - modern, brass, copper, stone, nylon, contemporary wall sculpture
By Alice Vander Vennen
Located in Bloomfield, ON
The title means to ‘shine a light’ or illuminate. Alice Vander Vennen’s beautiful contemporary compositions are designed to tell a story. Fashioned by hand, the canoe-like shape of t...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials

Stone, Copper

Stone Celebration - brass, copper, stone, nylon, contemporary wall sculpture
By Alice Vander Vennen
Located in Bloomfield, ON
A stunning contemporary composition of carefully curated objects, this wall sculpture is by Alice Vander Vennen. Her mixed media works are made from an eclectic assortment of ‘found’...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials

Stone, Copper

Growing in a Fragmented Landscape - Abstract Figurative Wall Sculpture
By Jennyfer Stratman
Located in Los Angeles, CA
There is a metaphorical interplay between the natural imagery international artist, Jennyfer Stratman, uses and its multiple meanings. While the human figure features strongly, it is the essence of the body that is important to her, not the representation. Particularly, the artist imagines trees and branches as a figurative link between the natural environment and our physical presence. The implied internal landscape of the body can also be reflected in how our surroundings from birth affect our sense of identity. By exploring landscapes of the body and mind, she also hopes to comment on the larger picture of our impact on the natural world. This unique sculpture is made from bronze, brass, copper, and steel. It measures 38 inches high by 45 inches wide and 2 inches deep. It is signed by Stratman on the front and back. Free local Los Angeles delivery. Affordable Continental U.S. and International shipping available. A certificate of authenticity issued by the art gallery is included. Stratman grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1992 she commenced her studies at Arizona State University majoring in visual arts and art education. Stratman entered academia as a ceramicist. With each passing semester, the scale of her creations expanded and the material limitations of working with clay ultimately led her to the university foundry. This opened a door into another world of creative possibilities, profoundly changing her artistic direction. She replaced fired clay with larger-scale bronze, steel, and mixed media sculptures yet retained a delicacy, intimacy, and intricacy imbued from the ceramic process. Today she is a full-time established artist with studios operating in Phoenix, Arizona and Melbourne, Australia. Her time is divided between the two countries with each location informing and influencing the creative process. She has exhibited in 31 solo exhibitions and over 100 group exhibitions nationally and internationally. Her indoor and outdoor sculptures are held in public and private collections in countries including the United States, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Israel, England, and Europe. Artplex Gallery has been representing and exhibiting Jennyfer Stratman's original artworks in Los Angeles since 2021, presenting her impressive works to an international collector base around the globe. The gallery has been a 1stdibs partner since 2014 with consistently excellent reviews from clients worldwide. The gallery exhibits a well-curated selection of original artworks beyond the ordinary from established and emerging international artists with diverse backgrounds at high standards. Artplex Gallery is known to provide accurate descriptions, images, reliable services, communication, and delivery. The gallery's commitment to customer satisfaction means that clients can invest in art with confidence, knowing they have a reputable and established art gallery backing their acquisition. Artplex Gallery prioritizes our clients' peace of mind by ensuring a seamless and worry-free art-buying experience. REPRESENTATION Artplex Gallery, Los Angeles, USA SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2023 Solo Exhibition, Grace Renee Gallery, Carefree, Arizona 2021 “Natural Connections”, Manyung Gallery, Melbourne, Australia 2020 “Celestial Forms”, Manyung Gallery, Melbourne, Australia 2019 “Solo Exhibition”, Grace Renee Gallery, Carefree, AZ 2018 “The Etheral Garden”, Manyung Gallery, Melbourne, Australia “The Gravity Between Us”, Calvin Charles Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ 2017 “Tree Within Me”, Avran Fine Art, Laguna, CA 2016 “Constellation”, Manyung Gallery, Melbourne, Australia “Cultivating The Wild”, Calvin Charles Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ 2015 “Connection”, Mirada Fine Art, Denver, CO “Transformation”, Contemporary Fine Arts Gallery, La Jolla, CA 2014 “Cultivating Memory”, Michele Mariaud Gallery, NYC “Connected Elements”, Calvin Charles Gallery, Scottsdale AZ 2013 “Interconnection”, Contemporary Fine Arts Gallery, La Jolla, CA 2012 “Internal Landscapes”, Mirada Fine Art, Denver, CO 2011 “Reflective Landscapes”, Stockroom, Kyneton, Australia “Propagated Reflections”, Calvin Charles Gallery, Scottsdale,AZ 2010 “Hybrid”, GF Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2023 Nature Art Soiree, Manyung Gallery, Melbourne Australia Affordable Art Fair Sydney, Manyung Gallery, Sydney Australia 2022 Affordable Art Fair Melbourne, Manyung Gallery, Melbourne, Australia CHAOS Theory 22, Legend City Studios, Pheonix, Arizona Endings And Beginnings, Modified Arts, Pheonix, Arizona Skies of Fruitful Nights, Artplex Gallery, Los Angeles, California 2021 Every Artist Ever Ten Year Anniversary Show, Stockroom Gallery, Melbourne, Australia CHAOS Theory 21, Legend City Studios, Pheonix, Arizona 2020 Affordable Online Art Fair, Manyung Gallery, Worldwide 2019 Portland on the Park Collection Exhibition, Phoenix, Arizona CHAOS Theory 20, Legend City Studios, Phoenix, Arizona Loreto Spring Art, Marryatville, South Australia Toorak Village Festival of Sculpture, Melbourne, Australia 2018 Carmody Foundation Grant Recipient, Phoenix, Arizona CHAOS Theory 19, Legend City Studios, Phoenix, Arizona Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong, with TAG Fine Arts, Hong Kong Toorak Village Festival of Sculpture 2018, Toorak, Victoria Affordable Art Fair New York, with TAG Fine Arts, New York Battersea Art Fair, TAG Fine Arts, London, England 2017 Affordable Art Fair Singapore, TAG Fine Arts, Singapore Choice Cuts, The Lodge Art Studio, Phoenix, Arizona CHAOS Theory 18, Legend City Studios, Phoenix, Arizona INFLUX 2017, Public Sculpture Outdoor Installation, City of Gilbert, Arizona Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong, TAG Fine Arts, Hong Kong Affordable Art Fair Hampstead, TAG Fine Arts, London, England Calm In The Storm, Mirada Fine Art, Denver, Colorado Battersea Art Fair, TAG Fine Arts, London, England London Art Fair, TAG Fine Arts, London, England 2016 Expatriates, & Gallery, Melbourne, Australia Affordable Art Fair London, Mark Jason Gallery, London Affordable Art Fair Singapore, Mark Jason Gallery, Singapore Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong, Mark Jason Gallery, Hong Kong Affordable Art Fair New York, Michele Mariaud Gallery, New York 2015 Solidity, Calvin Charles Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona littleSCULPTURE Show, Int’l Sculpture Conference, Bentley Gallery, Phoenix, Arizona Distilled In The Desert, Grant Street Studios, Arizona State University, Phoenix Manyung Gallery Group Exhibition, Manyung Gallery, Mt Eliza, Victoria Connecting With Nature, Calvin Charles Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong, Mark Jason Gallery, Hong Kong 2014 Affordable Art Fair Singapore, Mark Jason Gallery, Singapore Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong, Michele Mariaud Gallery, Hong Kong Art Palm Beach 2014, Michele Mariaud Gallery, Palm Beach, Florida Darebin Art Show, Bundoora Homestead Art Centre, Bundoora, Victoria 2013 Affordable Art Fair New York City, Living With Art, New York City Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong, Living With Art, Hong Kong Northern Lights, Bundoora Homestead Art Centre, Bundoora, Victoria Art Palm Beach 2013, Living With Art, Palm Beach, Florida 2012 Affordable Art Fair Seattle, GF Contemporary, Seattle, Washington Petite, Calvin Charles Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona Affordable Art Fair New York City, with Living With Art, New York City Ladies Night, Contemporary Fine Arts Gallery, La Jolla, California AD 20/21- Art and Design of the 20th & 21st Centuries, Boston Center for the Arts, Boston, Massachusetts Montalto Acquisitive Sculpture Prize 2012, Montalto Vineyard, Red Hill, Victoria 2011 You Are Here, Stockroom, Kyneton, Victoria, awarded “Fundere Fine Art Prize” Transformation, Box Hill Community Arts Centre 4th Biennial Art Competition, Box Hill, Victoria Darebin Art Show, Bundoora Homestead Art Centre, Bundoora, Victoria San Francisco Art Fair, GF Contemporary, San Francisco, California AD 20/21- Art and Design of the 20th & 21st Centuries, Boston Center for the Arts, Boston, Massachusetts 2010 Alive, Shemer Art Center and Museum, Phoenix, Arizona Williamstown Contemporary Art Prize 2010, The Substation Arts Centre, Williamstown, Victoria Bonanza, Yarra Sculpture Gallery, Abbotsford, Victoria Montalto Acquisitive Sculpture Prize 2010, Montalto Vineyard, Red Hill, Victoria 2009 2009 Toyota Sculpture Exhibition, Toyota Community Spirit Gallery, Port Melbourne Sanctuary Resort, outdoor sculpture, Scottsdale, Arizona Toorak Village Sculpture...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Metal, Bronze, Enamel, Steel, Copper

Nightfall - Highly Detailed Paper Sculpture of Sleeping Figure & Bicycle
By Ivan Markovic
Located in Chicago, IL
This realistic sculpture is created from scraps of paper and glue. The sculpture is inspired by the characters found in cities around the world. In this case, a figure sleeps beside a bicycle. A backpack is used as a pillow and shoes has been kicked off. Every attention has been paid to the smallest of details in this truly amazing paper sculpture. This sculpture is presented in a custom acrylic display case...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Copper, Wire

Recently Viewed

View All