Maurycy Gottlieb

Day of Atonement (Jews at Prayer on Yom Kippur), done in Vienna in 1878.

Maurycy Gottlieb (Drohobych 1856 - Kraków 1879) was a Polish-Jewish painter. He was born in Drohobych (at that time Austria-Hungary). Gottlieb studied in Lvov, Vienna, Munich and Kraków. At the age of twenty, Gottlieb won a gold medal from a Munich art competition for Shylock and Jessica.

As a Polish-Jewish artist, Gottlieb is unique. As a Polish painter, he is considered to be the best of his generation. [1]

The painting "Day of Atonement" is one of three masterpieces on religious themes painted by Gottlieb which reflect the personal conflict of the artist as to his identity as a Jew, a Polish citizen or a man of the Enlightenment... The painting is based on the artist's memories of the synagogue in his childhood home of Drohowicz. [2] ("Yom Kippur" or "Day of Atonement" is the most important holiday of the Jewish year.)

Gottlieb was extremely prolific, painting more than 300 works (some unfinished).

See also[edit]

• Painting Schools
• Painting Masterpieces
• Gallery of Jewish Painting

External links[edit]

• Maurycy Gottlieb
• Maurycy Gottlieb Poland on the Web.
• Maurycy Gottlieb Gallery of Polish Painting Masterpieces.