Artist: Issachar Ber Ryback (1897–1935)
Title: The Money (Shtetl Allegory)
Technique: Original Lithograph on Paper
Dimensions: 28 x 35 cm (Visible area)
Status: Signed in the plate (lower right)
Framing: Housed in a classic ornate golden wooden frame with elegant wave carvings.
About the Artwork:
In this powerful and surreal lithograph, Issachar Ber Ryback explores themes of wealth, fate, and the social dynamics of the Jewish Shtetl. The central motif—a colossal hand showering coins over a group of expressive, animated figures—serves as a poignant allegory for the human experience within the Jewish community of Eastern Europe. This Issachar Ber Ryback piece showcases his ability to blend traditional Jewish subjects with bold, modernist metaphors, making it a rare and thought-provoking collector's item.
About the Artist:
Issachar Ber Ryback (1897–1935): A leading figure in the Russian-Jewish art movement and a member of the "Kultur-Lige."
Style: His work is celebrated for its synthesis of avant-garde techniques (like Cubism and Expressionism) with traditional Jewish motifs and subjects.
Legacy: Ryback's art serves as a vital visual record of Jewish life in Eastern Europe before the Holocaust. His works are highly prized by major institutions and private collectors globally.