Artist: Esther Lurie (1913–1998)
Technique: Hand-Colored Lithograph from the "Jerusalem" Album (Watercolor and Ink on Paper) 
Dimensions: 23x33 cm
Status: Signed and Dated 1968 (Lower Left & Right), Framed
About the Artwork:
This original 1968 artwork by Israeli artist Esther Lurie is a hand-colored plate from her official "Jerusalem" portfolio album (p. 1). Capturing a panoramic view of the Old City and the Dome of the Rock from Mount Scopus, the composition combines precise printed lines with expressive ink strokes. The artist individually finished this piece using watercolor washes in terracotta and blue tones. The work is hand-signed in Hebrew and English, localized, dated, and presented in a gold-toned frame with a mount.
About the Artist:
Esther Lurie (1913–1998) was a pioneering Israeli painter and stage designer whose life and art were deeply intertwined with the defining moments of 20th-century Jewish history. Born in Latvia, she studied in Belgium before immigrating to Israel in 1934, where her talent was quickly recognized, earning her the prestigious Dizengoff Prize in 1938 and 1946. During a visit to her family in Europe, she was trapped by the outbreak of WWII and imprisoned in the Kovno Ghetto. With immense bravery, she secretly drew and documented the daily realities of the Holocaust, burying her sketches in pottery jars to ensure they survived. After the war, she returned to Israel and dedicated her work to capturing the shifting light and timeless spirit of Israeli landscapes, particularly Jerusalem. Her historic testimonies and poignant artworks are preserved in permanent collections worldwide, including Yad Vashem and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.