watercolor, signed, dated 1957
 
This is a watercolor painting by Israeli artist Yosef Kossonogi (1908-1981), depicting a figural scene with a woman playing a lute.
 
 
Kossonogi was a Hungarian-born Israeli artist known for his watercolors and a personal style characterized by lightness of touch and dream-like compositions.
He studied at the Berlin Art Academy and immigrated to the Land of Israel in 1926, later settling in Safed in 1956.
Kossonogi's work often featured figures and scenes from daily life, rendered with a distinctive, expressive quality.
His art is part of numerous public and private collections, including the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.