Artist: Leo Roth (1914–2002)
Technique: Color Lithograph on Paper
Dimensions (Paper Size): 50x70 cm
Status: Pencil Signed (Lower Right), Numbered 90/150 (Lower Left), Unframed
About the Artwork:
This original color lithograph by Israeli artist Leo Roth depicts the biblical narrative of the Binding of Isaac (Akedah). The Cubist composition features a monumental, bearded figure of Abraham raising a sacrificial knife in his left hand. In the center, Isaac lies bound with an expressive, stylized portrait. The base of the artwork depicts the ram caught by its horns in a thicket, resting on a green altar. Roth utilizes a warm, saturated color palette dominated by terracottas, deep browns, and emerald greens to evoke a solemn, spiritual atmosphere. The print is hand-signed in pencil by the artist in Hebrew in the lower right corner, numbered 90/150 on the lower left, and presented unframed on premium 50x70 cm paper.
About the Artist:
Leo (later Lior) Roth (1914–2002) was a foundational Israeli painter whose life and art embodied the pioneering spirit and ideological passion of the kibbutz movement. Born in Galicia, Poland, his family moved to Germany before he immigrated to Mandate Palestine in 1933. Embracing the chalutzic (pioneer) ideal, Roth worked as a shepherd and farmer at Kvutzat Kinneret before settling permanently at Kibbutz Afikim in the Jordan Valley. In 1951, his kibbutz sent him to Paris to study fresco and mural painting, a journey that deeply enriched his style. Upon his return, he was appointed director of the Art Academy of the Kibbutz Movement, mentoring generations of rural artists. Roth's colorful and structured canvases were heavily influenced by Cubism and share a powerful visual dialogue with the works of Naftali Bezem. His art seamlessly blends profound Biblical imagery with poignant representations of early pioneer culture, capturing the monumental essence of labor, community, and the Israeli land.