Arthur Szyk (Polish: �artur ʃɪk June 16, 1894 – September 13, 1951) was a Polish artist who worked primarily as a book illustrator and political artist throughout his career. Arthur Szyk was born into a prosperous middle-class

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

family in

Łódź Łódź, also rendered in English as Lodz, is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located approximately south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat of arms is an example of cant ...

, in the part of Poland which was under Russian rule in the 19th century. An acculturated

Polish Jew The history of the Jews in Poland dates back at least 1,000 years. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Ashkenazi Jewish community in the world. Poland was a principal center of Jewish culture, because of the lon ...

, Szyk always proudly regarded himself both as a Pole and a Jew. From 1921, he lived and created his works mainly in France and

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

, and in 1937 he moved to the United Kingdom. In 1940, he settled permanently in the United States, where he was granted American citizenship in 1948. Arthur Szyk became a renowned artist and book illustrator as early as the interwar period. His works were exhibited and published not only in Poland but also in France, the United Kingdom, Israel and the United States. However, he gained broad popularity in the United States primarily through his political caricatures, in which, after the outbreak of World War II, he savaged the policies and personalities of the leaders of the

Axis powers The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were N ...

. After the war, he also devoted himself to Zionist political issues, especially the support of the creation of the state of

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

. Szyk's work is characterized in its material content by social and political commitment, and in its formal aspect by its rejection of

modernism Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...

and embrace of the traditions of

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

and

renaissance painting Renaissance art (1350 – 1620 AD) is the painting, sculpture, and decorative arts of the period of European history known as the Renaissance, which emerged as a distinct style in Italy in about AD 1400, in parallel with developments which occ ...

, especially

illuminated manuscript An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared document where the text is often supplemented with flourishes such as borders and miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Church for prayers, liturgical services and psalms, the ...

s from those periods. Today, Szyk is known and exhibited only in his last host country, the United States.

Background and youth

Arthur Szyk, the son of Solomon Szyk and his wife Eugenia, was born in Łódź, in Russian partition of Poland, on June 16, 1894. Solomon Szyk was a textile factory director, a quiet occupation until June 1905, when, during the so-called Łódź insurrection, one of his workers threw acid in his face, permanently blinding him. Arthur Szyk (1894-1951)

Szyk showed artistic talent as a child; when he was six years old, he reportedly drew sketches of the

Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by ...

in China. Even though his family was culturally assimilated and did not practice

Orthodox Judaism Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses on ...

, Arthur also liked drawing biblical scenes from the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
''

Académie Julian The Académie Julian () was a private art school for painting and sculpture founded in Paris, France, in 1867 by French painter and teacher Rodolphe Julian (1839–1907) that was active from 1868 through 1968. It remained famous for the number ...

, a studio school popular among French and foreign students. In Paris, Szyk was exposed to all modern trends in art; however, he decided to follow his own way, which hewed closely to tradition. He was especially attracted by the medieval art of illuminating manuscripts, which greatly influenced his later works. When studying in Paris, Szyk remained closely involved with the social and civic life of Łódź. During the years 1912–1914 the teenage artist produced numerous drawings and caricatures on contemporary political themes that were published in the Łódź satirical magazine ''Śmiech'' ("Laughter"). After four years in France, Szyk returned to Poland in 1913 and continued his studies in

Teodor Axentowicz Teodor Axentowicz ( Armenian: Թեոդոր Աքսենտովիչ; 13 May 1859 in Brașov, Austrian Empire – 26 August 1938 in Kraków, Second Polish Republic) was a Polish- Armenian painter and university professor. A renowned artist of his times ...

's class at

Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts The Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków ( pl, Akademia Sztuk Pięknych im. Jana Matejki w Krakowie, usually abbreviated to ''ASP''), is a public institution of higher education located in the centre of Kraków, Poland. It is the oldest Pol ...

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

, which was under Austrian rule at that time. He not only attended lectures and classes, but he also actively participated in Kraków's cultural life. He did not forget his home city Łódź – he designed the stage sets and costumes for the Łódź-based Bi Ba Bo cabaret. The political and national engagement of the artist also deepened during that time – Szyk regarded himself as a Polish patriot but he was also proud of being Jewish and he often opposed

antisemitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

in his works. At the beginning of 1914, Szyk in a group with other Polish-Jewish artists and writers set off on a journey to Palestine, organized by the Jewish Cultural Society Hazamir (

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

: nightingale). There he observed the efforts of Jewish settlers working for the benefit of the future Jewish state. The visit was interrupted by the outbreak of World War I. Szyk, who was a Russian subject, had to leave Palestine, which was part of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

at that time, and go back to his home country in August 1914. He was conscripted into the Russian army and fought at the battle of Łódź in November/December 1914, but at the beginning of 1915, he managed to escape from the army and spent the rest of the war in his home city. He also used the time spent in the Russian army to draw Russian soldiers and published these drawings as postcards in the same year (1915). On September 14, 1916, Arthur Szyk married Julia Likerman. Their son George was born in the following year, and their daughter Alexandra in 1922.

Between the wars

In the Second Polish Republic

After Poland had regained independence in 1918, Szyk fully developed his artistic activity, combining it with political engagement. In 1919, influenced by the events of the

German Revolution of 1918–19 German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, he published, together with poet

Julian Tuwim Julian Tuwim (13 September 1894 – 27 December 1953), known also under the pseudonym "Oldlen" as a lyricist, was a Polish poet, born in Łódź, then part of the Russian Partition. He was educated in Łódź and in Warsaw where he studied law ...

, his first book of political illustrations: ''Rewolucja w Niemczech'' (''Revolution in Germany''), which was a satire on the Germans, who need the

Kaiser ''Kaiser'' is the German word for " emperor" (female Kaiserin). In general, the German title in principle applies to rulers anywhere in the world above the rank of king (''König''). In English, the (untranslated) word ''Kaiser'' is mainly a ...

's and the military's consent even to start a revolution. In the same year, Szyk had to take part in warfare again – during the

Polish–Soviet War The Polish–Soviet War (Polish–Bolshevik War, Polish–Soviet War, Polish–Russian War 1919–1921) * russian: Советско-польская война (''Sovetsko-polskaya voyna'', Soviet-Polish War), Польский фронт (' ...

(1919–1920), in which he served as a

Polish cavalry The Polish cavalry ( pl, jazda, kawaleria, konnica) can trace its origins back to the days of medieval cavalry knights. Poland is mostly a country of flatlands and fields and mounted forces operate well in this environment. The knights and heav ...

officer and as the artistic director of the

propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...

department of the Polish army in Łódź.

In France

In 1921 Arthur Szyk and his family moved to Paris where they stayed until 1933. The relocation to Paris is marked by a breakthrough in the formal aspect of Szyk's works. While Szyk's prior book illustrations were drawings in pen and ink (Szyk had illustrated six books before 1925, including three published in the Yiddish language), the illustrations for the books published in Paris were full colour and full of detail. The first book illustrated in this way was the ''

Book of Esther The Book of Esther ( he, מְגִלַּת אֶסְתֵּר, Megillat Esther), also known in Hebrew as "the Scroll" ("the Megillah"), is a book in the third section (, "Writings") of the Jewish ''Tanakh'' (the Hebrew Bible). It is one of the f ...

'' (''Le livre d'Esther'', 1925), followed by

Gustave Flaubert Gustave Flaubert ( , , ; 12 December 1821 – 8 May 1880) was a French novelist. Highly influential, he has been considered the leading exponent of literary realism in his country. According to the literary theorist Kornelije Kvas, "in Flauber ...

's dialogue '' The Temptation of Saint Anthony'' (''La tentation de Saint Antoine'', 1926), Pierre Benoît's novel ''Jacob's Well'' (Le puits de Jacob, 1927) and other books. Those illustrations, which are characterized by a rich diversity of colours and detailed presentation, deliberately referred to the medieval and renaissance traditions of illumination of manuscripts, often with interspersed contemporary elements. Szyk drew himself as one of the characters in the Book of Esther.. The only stylistic exception is illustrations to the two volume collection of humorous

anecdote An anecdote is "a story with a point", such as to communicate an abstract idea about a person, place, or thing through the concrete details of a short narrative or to characterize by delineating a specific quirk or trait. Occasionally humorous ...

s about Jews ''Le juif qui rit'' (1926/27), in which the artist returned to simple black and white graphics. (Paradoxically, the book, one of the best known of his works, met with criticism as repeating antisemitic stereotypes.) The artist's reputation was also enhanced by exhibitions which were organized by Galeries Auguste Decour (the art gallery first exhibited Szyk's works in 1922). Szyk's drawings were purchased by the Minister of Education and Fine Arts

Anatole de Monzie Anatole de Monzie (22 November 1876, Bazas, Gironde – 11 January 1947, Paris) was a French administrator, encyclopaedist (''Encyclopédie française''), political figure and scholar. His father was a tax collector in Bazas, Gironde wher ...

and the New York businessman Harry Glemby. Szyk had many opportunities to travel for his art. In 1922, he spent seven weeks in

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

, then a protectorate of France, where he drew the portrait of the

pasha Pasha, Pacha or Paşa ( ota, پاشا; tr, paşa; sq, Pashë; ar, باشا), in older works sometimes anglicized as bashaw, was a higher rank in the Ottoman political and military system, typically granted to governors, generals, dignitari ...

Marrakech Marrakesh or Marrakech ( or ; ar, مراكش, murrākuš, ; ber, ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, translit=mṛṛakc}) is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrake ...

– as a goodwill ambassador he received the

Ordre des Palmes Académiques A suite, in Western classical music and jazz, is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral/concert band pieces. It originated in the late 14th century as a pairing of dance tunes and grew in scope to comprise up to five dances, sometimes with ...

from the French government for this work. In 1931 he was invited to the seat of the

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...

Geneva , neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier , website = https://www.geneve.ch/ Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ...

, where he began illustrating the statute of the League. The artist made some of the pages of the statute but did not complete that work as a result of his disappointment with the policies of the organization in the 1930s. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). David and Saul (1921), Łódź, Poland.jpg, David and Saul (1921), Łódź, Poland. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Pieśń nad Pieśniami (Song of Songs) frontispiece, (c.1924), Łódź, Poland.jpg, Pieśń nad Pieśniami (Song of Songs) frontispiece, (c.1924), Łódź, Poland File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). La Ronde de Deesses (The Circle of Godesses) (1925), Paris.jpg, La Ronde de Deesses (The Circle of Goddesses) (1925), Paris. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Le Talisman, The Lionheart Lies in his Pavilion (1927), Paris.jpg, Le Talisman, The Lionheart Lies in his Pavilion (1927), Paris. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Bar Kochba (1927), Paris.jpg, Bar Kochba (1927), Paris. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Pacte de la Société des Nations (Covenant of the League of Nations) (1931), Paris.jpg, Pacte de la Société des Nations (Covenant of the League of Nations) (1931), Paris.

''Statute of Kalisz'' and ''Washington and his Times''

During his stay in France, Szyk maintained his ties with Poland. He often visited his home country, illustrated books, and exhibited his works there. During the second half of the 1920s, he mainly illustrated the ''

Statute of Kalisz The General Charter of Jewish Liberties known as the Statute of Kalisz, and the Kalisz Privilege, granted Jews in the Middle Ages special protection and positive discrimination in Poland when they were being persecuted in Western Europe. These ri ...

'', a charter of liberties which were granted to the Jews by

Bolesław the Pious Bolesław the Pious (1224/27 – 14 April 1279) was a Duke of Greater Poland during 1239–1247 (according to some historians during 1239–1241 sole Duke of Ujście), Duke of Kalisz during 1247–1249, Duke of Gniezno during 1249–1250, Duke ...

, the Duke of

Kalisz (The oldest city of Poland) , image_skyline = , image_caption = ''Top:'' Town Hall, Former "Calisia" Piano Factory''Middle:'' Courthouse, "Gołębnik" tenement''Bottom:'' Aerial view of the Kalisz Old Town , image_flag = POL Kalisz flag.svg ...

, in 1264. In the years 1926–1928, he created a rich graphic setting of the 45-page-long Statute, showing the contribution of the Jews to Polish society; for example their participation in Poland's pro-independence struggle, during the

January Uprising The January Uprising ( pl, powstanie styczniowe; lt, 1863 metų sukilimas; ua, Січневе повстання; russian: Польское восстание; ) was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at ...

of 1863, and in the

Polish Legions in World War I The Polish Legions ( pl, Legiony Polskie) was a name of the Polish military force (the first active Polish army in generations) established in August 1914 in Galicia soon after World War I erupted between the opposing alliances of the Triple Ente ...

commanded by

Józef Piłsudski ), Vilna Governorate, Russian Empire (now Lithuania) , death_date = , death_place = Warsaw, Poland , constituency = , party = None (formerly PPS) , spouse = , children = Wa ...

, to whom Szyk also dedicated his work. ''The Statute of Kalisz'' was published in book form in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

in 1932, but it gained popularity even earlier. Postcards with reproductions of Szyk's illustrations were published in Kraków around 1927. The original art was shown at exhibitions in

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...

, Łódź and Kalisz in 1929, and a "Traveling Exhibition of Artur Szyk's Works" was held in 1932–1933, displaying the Statute at exhibitions in 14 Polish towns and cities. In recognition of his work, Arthur Szyk was decorated with the Gold Cross of Merit by the Polish government. Another great historical series Szyk created was ''Washington and his Times'', which he began in Paris in 1930. The series, which included 38

watercolours Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (British English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin ''aqua'' "water"), is a painting method”Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to t ...

, depicted the events of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

and was a tribute to the first president of the United States and the American nation in general. The series was presented at an exhibition at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

in Washington, D.C. in 1934. It brought another decoration to Szyk – this time the George Washington Bicentennial Medal from the American government. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Statute of Kalisz, frontispiece (Casimir the Great) (1927), Paris.jpg, Statute of Kalisz, frontispiece (Casimir the Great) (1927), Paris. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Statute of Kalisz, English page (1927), Paris.jpg, Statute of Kalisz, English page (1927), Paris. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Statute of Kalisz, Jewish Craftsmen and Tradesmen (1927), Paris.jpg, Statute of Kalisz, Jewish Craftsmen and Tradesmen (1927), Paris. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Washington and His Times, Washington with His Soldiers - Washington the Soldier (1930), Paris.jpg, Washington and His Times, Washington the Soldier (1930), Paris. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Washington and His Times, The Struggle on Concord Bridge (1930), Paris.jpg, Washington and His Times, The Struggle on Concord Bridge (1930), Paris.

The ''Haggadah'' and moving to London.

Szyk's art became even more politically engaged when

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then ...

took power in Germany in 1933. Szyk started drawing caricatures of Germany's Führer as early as 1933; probably the first was a pencil drawing of Hitler dressed as an ancient Egyptian

pharaoh Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: '' pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until the ...

. These drawings anticipated another great series of Szyk's drawings – the ''

Haggadah The Haggadah ( he, הַגָּדָה, "telling"; plural: Haggadot) is a Jewish text that sets forth the order of the Passover Seder. According to Jewish practice, reading the Haggadah at the Seder table is a fulfillment of the mitzvah to each Je ...

'', which is considered his ''

magnum opus A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...

''. The ''Haggadah'' is a very important and popular story in Jewish culture and religion about the

Exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * E ...

or departure of the

Israelites The Israelites (; , , ) were a group of Semitic-speaking tribes in the ancient Near East who, during the Iron Age, inhabited a part of Canaan. The earliest recorded evidence of a people by the name of Israel appears in the Merneptah Stele ...

from ancient Egypt, which is read every year during the

Passover Seder The Passover Seder (; he, סדר פסח , 'Passover order/arrangement'; yi, סדר ) is a ritual feast at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is conducted throughout the world on the eve of the 15th day of Nisan in the Hebrew c ...

. Szyk illustrated the Haggadah in 48 miniature paintings in the years 1934–1936. The antisemitic politics in Germany led Szyk to introduce some contemporary elements to it. For example, he painted the Jewish

parable A parable is a succinct, didactic story, in prose or verse, that illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles. It differs from a fable in that fables employ animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature as characters, w ...

of the Four Sons, in which the "wicked son" was portrayed as a man wearing German clothes, with a Hitler-like moustache and a green Alpine hat. The political intent of the series was even stronger in its original version: he painted upon the red snakes the swastika, the symbol of the

Third Reich Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

. In 1937, Arthur Szyk went to London to supervise the publication of the ''Haggadah''. However, in the three years leading to its publication, the artist had to agree to many compromises, including painting over the swastikas. It is not clear whether he did it under the pressure from his publisher or from British politicians who pursued the policy of

appeasement Appeasement in an international context is a diplomatic policy of making political, material, or territorial concessions to an aggressive power in order to avoid conflict. The term is most often applied to the foreign policy of the UK governm ...

with to Germany. The ''Haggadah'' was at last published in 1940, dedicated it to King

George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Indi ...

and with a translation (of the Hebrew) and commentary by British Jewish historian Cecil Roth. The work was widely acclaimed by critics; according to ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fo ...

'' of London Literary Supplement, it was "worthy to be placed among the most beautiful of books that the hand of man has ever produced". It was the most expensive new book in the world at the time, with each of the 250 limited edition copies of vellum selling for 100 guineas or US$520. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). The Haggadah, Dedication to King George VI (1936), Łódź, Poland.jpg, The Haggadah, Dedication to King George VI (1936), Łódź, Poland. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). The Haggadah, The Family at the Seder (1935), Łódź, Poland.jpg, The Haggadah, The Family at the Seder (1935), Łódź, Poland. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). The Haggadah, The Four Questions (1935), Łódź, Poland.jpg, The Haggadah, The Four Questions (1935), Łódź, Poland. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). The Haggadah. The Four Sons (1934), Łódź, Poland.jpg, The Haggadah. The Four Sons (1934), Łódź, Poland. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). The Haggadah. French Dedication Page (1935), Łódź, Poland.jpg, The Haggadah. French Dedication Page (1935), Łódź, Poland. File:Arthur Szyk09.jpg, The Haggadah, Pharaoh's Army Perishing in the Red Sea.

New York World's Fair, 1939

The last major exhibition of Szyk's works before the outbreak of World War II was the presentation of his paintings at the

1939 New York World's Fair The 1939–40 New York World's Fair was a world's fair held at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York, United States. It was the second-most expensive American world's fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis's Louisiana Purcha ...

, which opened in April 1939 in New York. The Polish Pavilion prominently featured Szyk's twenty-three paintings depicting the contribution of the Poles to the history of the United States; many works specifically highlighted the historic political connections between the two countries, as if to remind the viewer that Poland remained a suitable ally in a turbulent time.. (Twenty of the images were reproduced as postcards in Kraków in 1938 and were available for sale.). In this series, Szyk depicted the contribution of the Poles to the history of the United States, and highlighted historic connections between the two countries. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Polish-American Fraternity series, Tadeusz Kościuszko (1938), London.jpg, Polish-American Fraternity series, Tadeusz Kościuszko (1938), London. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Polish-American Fraternity series, Wilson and Paderewski (1939), Kraków.jpg, Polish-American Fraternity series, Wilson and Paderewski (1939), Kraków.

World War II

Reaction to the outbreak of the war

The German invasion of Poland found Szyk in Britain where he supervised the publication of the ''Haggadah'' and continued to exhibit his works. The artist immediately reacted to the outbreak of World War II by producing war-themed works. One feature which distinguished Szyk from other caricaturists who were active during World War II was that he concentrated on the presentation of the enemy in his works and seldom depicted the leaders or soldiers of the Allies. This was a characteristic feature of Szyk's work till the end of the war. In January 1940, the exhibition of his 72 caricatures entitled ''War and "Kultur" in Poland'' opened at the Fine Art Society in London, and was well received by the critics. As the reviewer of ''

'' wrote: Szyk drew more and more caricatures directed at the Axis powers and their leaders, and his popularity steadily grew. In 1940, the American publisher

G.P. Putnam's Sons G. P. Putnam's Sons is an American book publisher based in New York City, New York. Since 1996, it has been an imprint of the Penguin Group. History The company began as Wiley & Putnam with the 1838 partnership between George Palmer Putnam an ...

offered to publish a collection of his drawings. Szyk agreed, and the result was the 1941 book ''The New Order'', available months before the United States joined the war.

Thomas Craven Thomas Craven (January 6, 1888 – February 27, 1969) was an American author, critic and lecturer, who promoted the work of American Regionalist painters, Thomas Hart Benton, John Steuart Curry and Grant Wood, among others. He was known for h ...

declared on the dust jacket of ''The New Order'' that Szyk: Some years later, in 1946, art critic

Carl Van Doren Carl Clinton Van Doren (September 10, 1885 – July 18, 1950) was an American critic and biographer. He was the brother of critic and teacher Mark Van Doren and the uncle of Charles Van Doren. He won the 1939 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autob ...

said of Szyk:

Moving to the United States and war caricatures

At the beginning of July 1940, with the support of the British government and the

Polish government-in-exile The Polish government-in-exile, officially known as the Government of the Republic of Poland in exile ( pl, Rząd Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej na uchodźstwie), was the government in exile of Poland formed in the aftermath of the Invasion of Pola ...

, Arthur Szyk left Britain for North America, on assignment to popularize in the New World the struggle of the British and Polish nations against

Nazism Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Naz ...

. His first destination on the continent was Canada, where he was welcomed enthusiastically by the media: they wrote about his engagement in the fight with Nazi Germany, and the Halifax-based ''

Morning Herald The ''Morning Herald'' was an early daily newspaper in the United Kingdom. The newspaper was founded in 1780 by the Reverend Sir Henry Bate Dudley, former editor of ''The Morning Post''. It was initially a liberal paper aligned with the Prince o ...

'' even reported about the alleged bounty Hitler had put on Szyk. In December 1940, Szyk and his wife and daughter went to New York City, where he lived till 1945. His son, George, had enlisted in the

Free French Forces __NOTOC__ The French Liberation Army (french: Armée française de la Libération or AFL) was the reunified French Army that arose from the merging of the Armée d'Afrique with the prior Free French Forces (french: Forces françaises libres, l ...

commanded by General

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...

. Soon after his arrival in the U.S., Szyk was inspired by Roosevelt's 1941 "

Four Freedoms The Four Freedoms were goals articulated by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Monday, January 6, 1941. In an address known as the Four Freedoms speech (technically the 1941 State of the Union address), he proposed four fundamental freed ...

State of the Union The State of the Union Address (sometimes abbreviated to SOTU) is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress near the beginning of each calendar year on the current conditio ...

speech to illustrate the Four Freedoms, preceding

Norman Rockwell Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of the country's culture. Rockwell is most famous for the ...

's Four Freedoms by two years; these were used as

poster stamp The poster stamp was an advertising label, a little larger than most postage stamps, that originated in the mid-19th century and quickly became a collecting craze, growing in popularity until World War I and then declining by World War II until they ...

s during the war, and appeared on the Four Freedoms Award which was presented to

Harry Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

George Marshall George Catlett Marshall Jr. (December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the US Army under Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S ...

and

Herbert H. Lehman Herbert Henry Lehman (March 28, 1878 – December 5, 1963) was an American Democratic Party politician from New York. He served from 1933 until 1942 as the 45th governor of New York and represented New York State in the U.S. Senate from 1949 ...

. Szyk became an immensely popular artist in his new home country the war, especially after the Japanese

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, ju ...

and the entry of the United States into the war. His caricatures of the leaders of the Axis powers (Hitler, Mussolini, Hirohito) and other drawings appeared practically everywhere: in newspapers, magazines (including ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, t ...

(cover caricature of Admiral

Isoroku Yamamoto was a Marshal Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and the commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet during World War II until he was killed. Yamamoto held several important posts in the IJN, and undertook many of its changes and reo ...

in December 1941)'', ''

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman a ...

'', and ''

Collier's ''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened in 1905 to ''Collie ...

''), on posters, postcards and stamps, in secular, religious and military publications, on public and military buildings. He also produced advertisements for

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlan ...

and

U.S. Steel United States Steel Corporation, more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an American integrated steel producer headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with production operations primarily in the United States of America and in several countries ...

, and exhibited in the galleries of M. Knodler & Co., Andre Seligmann, Inc., Messrs. Wildenstein & Co., the

Philadelphia Art Alliance The Philadelphia Art Alliance at University of the Arts is a multidisciplinary arts center located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood. It is the oldest multidisciplinary arts center in the United States for visua ...

, the

Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 1.5 million objects. Located near the Prospect Heights, Crown ...

, the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, and the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800 ...

. More than 25 exhibitions were staged altogether in the United States during the war years. At the end of the war, in 1945, his drawing ''Two Down and One to Go'' was used in a propaganda film calling American soldiers to the final assault on Japan. According to the ''

'' magazine, the posters with Szyk's drawings enjoyed even bigger popularity with American soldiers than

pin-up girl A pin-up model (known as a pin-up girl for a female and less commonly male pin-up for a male) is a model whose mass-produced pictures see widespread appeal as part of popular culture. Pin-up models were variously glamour models, fashion mode ...

s put on the walls of American military bases. In total, more than one million American soldiers saw Szyk's in reproduction at some 500 locations administered by the United Services Organization. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Satan Leads the Ball (1942), New York.jpg, Satan Leads the Ball (1942), New York. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). The Nibelungen series, Valhalla (1942), New York.jpg, The Nibelungen series, Valhalla (1942), New York. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). The Nibelungen series, Ride of the Valkyries (1942), New York.jpg, The Nibelungen series, Ride of the Valkyries (1942), New York. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Fool the Axis Use Prophylaxis poster (1942), Philadelphia.jpg, Fool the Axis Use Prophylaxis poster (1942), Philadelphia. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). In Comradeship of Arms series, Joan of Arc (1942), New York.jpg, In Comradeship of Arms series, Joan of Arc (1942), New York File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). In Comradeship of Arms series, King Jagiełło of Poland (1942), New York.jpg, In Comradeship of Arms series, King Jagiełło of Poland (1942), New York. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). De Profundis (Chicago Sun) (1943), Chicago.jpg, De Profundis - Cain, Where is Abel Thy Brother? as published in the Chicago Sun, 1943. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). To Be Shot as Dangerous Enemies of the Third Reich (1943), New York.jpg, To Be Shot as Dangerous Enemies of the Third Reich (1943), New York. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). We're Running Short of Jews (1943), New York.jpg, We're Running Short of Jews (1943), New York. edicated to Szyk's mother who was murdered in the ShoahFile:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Tears of Rage - Action Not Pity (The New York Times) (1943), New York.jpg, Tears of Rage - "Action, Not Pity" as published in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', 1943. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Black, White and Jew in Common Cause (1943), New York.jpg, Black, White and Jew in Common Cause (1943), New York. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Save Human Lives poster stamps (1944), New York.jpg, Save Human Lives poster stamps (1944), New York. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Palestine Restricted (reproduced 1946) (1944), New York.jpg, Palestine Restricted (1944) as reproduced on a 1946 report. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Ink & Blood, Frontispiece (1944), New York.jpg, Ink & Blood, Frontispiece (1944), New York. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Two Down and One to Go pamphlet (1945), Washington DC.jpg, Two Down and One to Go pamphlet (1945), Washington DC. Morton Weinstein presenting Eleanor Roosevelt with a book by Arthur Szyk - NARA - 195394

Morton Weinstein presenting Eleanor Roosevelt with a book by Arthur Szyk - NARA - 195394

In recognition for his services in the fight against Nazism,

Fascism Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy and th ...

, and the Japanese aggression,

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four t ...

, First Lady and wife of President F. D. Roosevelt, wrote about Szyk several times in her newspaper column, ''My Day''. On January 8, 1943, she wrote:

Social justice on the home front

Though Szyk was a fierce opponent of

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

and the rest of the

Axis Powers The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were N ...

, he did not avoid topics or themes which presented the Allies in a less favourable light. Szyk criticized the United Kingdom for its policies in the Middle East, especially its practice of imposing limits on Jewish emigration to Palestine. Szyk also criticized the apparent passivity of American-Jewish organizations towards the tragedy of their European fellows. He supported the work of

Hillel Kook Hillel Kook ( he, הלל קוק, 24 July 1915 –18 August 2001), also known as Peter Bergson (Hebrew: פיטר ברגסון), was a Revisionist Zionist activist and politician. Kook led the Irgun's efforts in the United States during Worl ...

, also known as Peter Bergson, a member of the

Zionist Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after ''Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Jew ...

organization

Irgun Irgun • Etzel , image = Irgun.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = Irgun emblem. The map shows both Mandatory Palestine and the Emirate of Transjordan, which the Irgun claimed in its entirety for a future Jewish state. The acronym "Etzel" i ...

, who mounted a publicity campaign in American society whose aim was to draw the American public's attention to the fate of the European Jews. Szyk illustrated for example full-page advertisements (sometimes with copy by screenwriter

Ben Hecht Ben Hecht (; February 28, 1894 – April 18, 1964) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, journalist, and novelist. A successful journalist in his youth, he went on to write 35 books and some of the most enjoyed screenplay ...

) which were published in ''

''. The artist also spoke against racial tensions in the United States and criticized the fact that the black population did not have the same rights as the whites. In one of his drawings, there are two American soldiers – one black and one white – escorting German prisoners of war. When the white one asks the black: "And what would you do with Hitler?", the black one answers: "I would have made him a Negro and dropped him somewhere in the U.S.A." Szyk's attitude to his mother country, Poland, was very interesting and full of contradictions. Even though he regarded himself both as Jewish and Polish and showed the suffering of the Poles (not only those of Jewish descent) in the Russian-occupied Polish territories in his drawings, even though he benefited from financial support of the

(at least at the beginning of the war), Szyk sometimes presented that government in a negative light, especially at the end of World War II. In a controversial drawing dated 1944, a group of debating Polish politicians are shown as opponents of Roosevelt,

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet Union, Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as Ge ...

, the "Bolshevik agent"

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...

, and at the same time adherents of Father

Charles Coughlin Charles Edward Coughlin ( ; October 25, 1891 – October 27, 1979), commonly known as Father Coughlin, was a Canadian-American Catholic priest based in the United States near Detroit. He was the founding priest of the National Shrine of the ...

, known for his antisemitic views, as well as "(national) democracy" and "(national) socialism." Around 1943, Szyk, a former participant in the Polish–Soviet War, also completely changed his opinions on the Soviet Union. His drawing from 1944 already depicts outright a soldier of the Moscow-supported

People's Army of Poland The Polish People's Army ( pl, Ludowe Wojsko Polskie , LWP) constituted the second formation of the Polish Armed Forces in the East in 1943–1945, and in 1945–1989 the armed forces of the Polish communist state ( from 1952, the Polish Pe ...

next to a

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...

soldier, both liberating Poland. Whatever his political views, in July 1942 Szyk took the time to look after the family of the Polish diplomat and poet General Bolesław Wieniawa-Długoszowski when the General committed suicide. He invited his wife Bronisława Wieniawa-Długoszowska and daughter Zuzanna to stay with his family for six weeks in the country. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). De Profundis (Chicago Sun) (1943), Chicago.jpg, De Profundis (''Chicago Sun'', 1943) File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Tears of Rage - Action Not Pity (The New York Times) (1943), New York.jpg, Tears of Rage - Action - Not Pity (''The New York Times'', 1943) File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). We Must Ask Washington (1944), New York.jpg, We Must Ask Washington. New York, 1944.

Book illustrations

Even though caricatures dominated Szyk's artistic output during the war, he was still engaged in other areas of art. In 1940, the American publisher

George Macy George Macy (1900–1956) was an American publisher. Career George Macy was born in New York City in 1900. In 1926, he founded Macy-Masius, which was sold to the Vanguard Press in 1928. In 1929, he founded the Limited Editions Club, publis ...

, who saw his illustrations for the ''Haggadah'' at an exhibition in London, asked him to illustrate the '' Rubaiyat'', a collection of poems of the Iranian poet

Omar Khayyám Ghiyāth al-Dīn Abū al-Fatḥ ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm Nīsābūrī (18 May 1048 – 4 December 1131), commonly known as Omar Khayyam ( fa, عمر خیّام), was a polymath, known for his contributions to mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, a ...

. In 1943, the artist started work on illustrations for the ''

Book of Job The Book of Job (; hbo, אִיּוֹב, ʾIyyōḇ), or simply Job, is a book found in the Ketuvim ("Writings") section of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), and is the first of the Poetic Books in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. Scholars are ...

'', published in 1946; he also illustrated collections of fairy tales by

Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fairy tales, consist ...

(''Andersen's Fairy Tales'', 1945) and

Charles Perrault Charles Perrault ( , also , ; 12 January 1628 – 16 May 1703) was an iconic French author and member of the Académie Française. He laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from earlier folk tales ...

(''

Mother Goose The figure of Mother Goose is the imaginary author of a collection of French fairy tales and later of English nursery rhymes. As a character, she appeared in a song, the first stanza of which often functions now as a nursery rhyme. This, howeve ...

'', which was not published). File:Arthur Szyk02.jpg, ''

Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám ''Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám'' is the title that Edward FitzGerald gave to his 1859 translation from Persian to English of a selection of quatrains (') attributed to Omar Khayyam (1048–1131), dubbed "the Astronomer-Poet of Persia". Altho ...

'' (1940), New York. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Andersen's Fairy Tales, inside cover illustration (1944), New York.jpg, Andersen's Fairy Tales, inside cover illustration (1944), New York. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Andersen's Fairy Tales, The King and Queen of Roses (1945), New York.jpg, Andersen's Fairy Tales, The King and Queen of Roses (1945), New York.

Postwar: final years

In 1945, Arthur Szyk and his family moved from New York City to

New Canaan, Connecticut New Canaan () is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,622 according to the 2020 census. About an hour from Manhattan by train, the town is considered part of Connecticut's Gold Coast. The town is bounde ...

where he lived till the end of his life. The end of the war released him from the duty to fight Nazism through his caricatures; a large collection of drawings from the war period was published by the Heritage Press in 1946 in book form as ''Ink and Blood: A Book of Drawings''. The artist returned to book illustrations, working for example on '' The Canterbury Tales'' by

Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer (; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for '' The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He w ...

and, most notably, books telling Bible stories, such as ''Pathways through the Bible'' by Mortimer J. Cohen (1946), ''The Book of Job'' (1946), ''The Book of Ruth'' (1947), ''The Ten Commandments'' (1947), ''The Story of Joseph and his Brothers'' (1949). Some of the books illustrated by Szyk were also published posthumously, including ''The Arabian Nights Entertainments'' (1954) and ''The Book of Esther'' (1974). He was also commissioned by Canadian entrepreneur and stamp connoisseur,

Kasimir Bileski Kasimir Bileski (September 14, 1908 - January 19, 2005) was a Canadian philatelist and stamp dealer based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is best known for his discovery and promotion of the famous "Seaway Inverted" stamps of 1959. He was also ...

, to create illustrations for the Visual History of Nations (or

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...

) series of stamps; though the project never came to fruition, Szyk did design stamp album frontispieces for more than a dozen countries, including the United States, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Israel. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). The Canterbury Tales, The Manciple (1945), New York.jpg, The Canterbury Tales, The Manciple (1945), New York. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Visual History of Nations, The United States of America (1945), New York.jpg, Visual History of Nations, The United States of America (1945), New Canaan, Connecticut. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Visual History of Nations, Israel (1948), New Canaan, CT.jpg, Visual History of Nations,

(1948), New Canaan, Connecticut. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). The Holiday Series, Rosh Hashanah (1948), New Canaan, CT.jpg, The Holiday Series,

Rosh Hashanah Rosh HaShanah ( he, רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה, , literally "head of the year") is the Jewish New Year. The biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah (, , lit. "day of shouting/blasting") It is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days (, , " ...

(1948), New Canaan, Connecticut. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Arabian Nights Entertainments, The Husband and the Parrot (1948), New Canaan, CT.jpg, Arabian Nights Entertainments, The Husband and the Parrot (1948), New Canaan, Connecticut. Arthur Szyk was granted American citizenship on May 22, 1948, but he reportedly experienced the happiest day in his life eight days earlier: on May 14, the day of the announcement of the

Israeli Declaration of Independence The Israeli Declaration of Independence, formally the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel ( he, הכרזה על הקמת מדינת ישראל), was proclaimed on 14 May 1948 ( 5 Iyar 5708) by David Ben-Gurion, the Executive ...

. Arthur Szyk commemorated that event by creating the richly decorated illumination of the Hebrew text of the declaration. Two years later, on July 4, 1950, he also exhibited the richly illuminated text of the

United States Declaration of Independence The United States Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America, is the pronouncement and founding document adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at Pennsylvania State House ( ...

. The artist continued to be politically engaged in his country, criticizing the

McCarthyism McCarthyism is the practice of making false or unfounded accusations of subversion and treason, especially when related to anarchism, communism and socialism, and especially when done in a public and attention-grabbing manner. The term orig ...

policy (the ubiquitous atmosphere of suspicion and searching for sympathizers of communism in American artistic and academic circles) and signs of

racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race over another. It may also mean prejudice, d ...

. One of his well-known drawings from 1949 shows two armed members of

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Cath ...

approaching a tied-up African American; the caption for the drawing reads, "Do not forgive them, oh Lord, for they do know what they do." Like many outspoken artists of his era, Szyk was suspected by the

House Un-American Activities Committee The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA), popularly dubbed the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives, created in 1938 to investigate alleged disloy ...

, which accused him of being a member of the

Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee (JAFRC) was a nonprofit organization to provide humanitarian aid to refugees of the Spanish Civil War. History In 1941, the Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee was formed by Lincoln Battalion veterans of t ...

and six other suspicious organizations. Szyk himself, however, repudiated these accusations of alleged sympathy for communism; his son George sent Judge Simon Rifkind a memorandum outlining his father's innocence. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Do Not Forgive Them, O Lord, For They Do Know What They Do (1949), New Canaan, CT.jpg, "Do Not Forgive Them, O Lord, For They Do Know What They Do!..." (1949), New Canaan, Connecticut. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). McCarthyism-He is Under Investigation, His Blood is Red and His Heart is Left of Center (1949), New Canaan, CT.jpg,

– "He is Under Investigation, His Blood is Red and His Heart is Left of Center!..." (1949), New Canaan, Connecticut. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). The Book of Esther, Szyk and Haman (1950). New Canaan, CT.jpg, The Book of Esther, Szyk and Haman (1950). New Canaan, Connecticut. File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Declaration of Independence (1950), New Canaan, CT.jpg, Declaration of Independence (1950), New Canaan, Connecticut File:Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Thomas Jefferson's Oath (1951), New Canaan, CT.jpg, Thomas Jefferson's Oath (1951), New Canaan, Connecticut. Arthur Szyk died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

in New Canaan on September 13, 1951. He was eulogized by Rabbi

Ben Zion Bokser Ben-Zion Bokser (July 4, 1907 – January 30, 1984) was a major Conservative rabbi in the United States. Biography Bokser was born in Liuboml, then a part of Poland, and emigrated to the United States at the age of 13 in 1920. He attended City ...

, who said:

Legacy

The immense popularity Szyk enjoyed in the United States and Europe in his lifetime gradually flagged after his death. From the 1960s to the end of the 1980s, the artist's works were seldom exhibited in American museums. This changed in 1991 when the non-profit organization The Arthur Szyk Society was established in

Orange County, California Orange County is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,186,989, making it the third-most-populous county in California, the sixth-most-populous in the United States, a ...

. The founder of the Society, George Gooche, rediscovered Szyk's works and staged the exhibition "Arthur Szyk – Illuminator" in Los Angeles. In 1997, the seat of the Society was transferred to

Burlingame, California Burlingame () is a city in San Mateo County, California. It is located on the San Francisco Peninsula and has a significant shoreline on San Francisco Bay. The city is named after diplomat Anson Burlingame and is known for its numerous eucalyp ...

, and a new Board of

Trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to ...

s was elected, headed by rabbi, curator and antiquarian Irvin Ungar. The Society's work resulted in staging many exhibitions of Szyk's works in American cities in the 1990s and 2000s. The Society also maintains a large educational website, holds lectures, and produces publications on the artist. In April 2017, the Ungar collection of his work, consisting of 450 paintings, drawings and sketches, was purchased for $10.1 million by the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant univ ...

's Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, through a donation by Taube Philanthropies, the largest single monetary gift to acquire art in UC Berkeley history. Szyk's recent solo exhibitions include: * "Arthur Szyk: Soldier in Art",

New-York Historical Society The New-York Historical Society is an American history museum and library in New York City, along Central Park West between 76th and 77th Streets, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The society was founded in 1804 as New York's first museum. ...

, New York City (September 15, 2017 - January 21, 2018) * "Arthur Szyk and the Art of the Haggadah",

Contemporary Jewish Museum The Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM) is a non-collecting museum at 736 Mission Street at Yerba Buena Lane in the South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The museum, which was founded in 1984, is located in the histori ...

, San Francisco (February 13 to June 29, 2014) * "Arthur Szyk: Miniature Paintings and Modern Illuminations",

California Palace of the Legion of Honor The Legion of Honor, formally known as the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, is an art museum in San Francisco, California. Located in Lincoln Park, the Legion of Honor is a component of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, which also ...

, San Francisco (December 10, 2010 to March 27, 2011) * "A One-Man Army: The Art of Arthur Szyk",

Holocaust Museum Houston The Holocaust Museum Houston is located in Houston's Museum District, in Texas. It is the fourth largest holocaust museum in the U.S. It was opened in 1996. The Boniuk Center houses Holocaust Museum Houston's Education Department, including f ...

(October 20, 2008 – February 8, 2009) * "Arthur Szyk – Drawing Against National Socialism and Terror",

Deutsches Historisches Museum The German Historical Museum (german: Deutsches Historisches Museum), known by the acronym DHM, is a museum in Berlin, Germany devoted to German history. It describes itself as a place of "enlightenment and understanding of the shared history ...

(DHM), Berlin, Germany (August 29, 2008 – January 4, 2009) * "The Art and Politics of Arthur Szyk",

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) is the United States' official memorial to the Holocaust. Adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the USHMM provides for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust his ...

, Washington, D.C. (April 10 – October 14, 2002) * "Arthur Szyk: Artist for Freedom",

(December 9, 1999 – May 6, 2000) * "Justice Illuminated: The Art of Arthur Szyk", Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership, Chicago (August 16, 1998 – February 28, 1999) —later traveled throughout Poland: Warsaw, Jewish Historical Institute; Łódź, Museum of the City of Łódź; and Kraków, Center for Jewish Culture. *"In Real Times. Arthur Szyk: Art & Human Rights (1926-1951)" The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life,

(January 28, 2020 – present)

Notes

Bibliography

* Irvin Ungar, Michael Berenbaum, Tom L. Freudenheim, and James Kettlewell, ''Arthur Szyk: Soldier in Art'', London : D Giles Limited in association with Historicana and The Arthur Szyk Society, 2017, . * Byron L. Sherwin and Irvin D. Ungar, ''Freedom Illuminated: Understanding The Szyk Haggadah,'' Burlingame, Historicana, 2008, . * Katja Widmann and Johannes Zechner. ''Arthur Szyk : Drawing against National Socialism and Terror'', Berlin : Deutsches Historisches Museum, 2008, . * Joseph Ansell, ''Artur Szyk : Artist, Jew, Pole'', Oxford, Portland, Or. : Littman Library of Jewish Civilization, 2004, . * Stephen Luckert, ''The Art and Politics of Arthur Szyk'', Washington, D.C.: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2002, . * Irvin Ungar, ''Justice Illuminated : the Art of Arthur Szyk'', Chicago : Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies, 1998, .
"Arthur Szyk - Soldier in Art: Rare Polish Poster from World War II Discovered"
by Zbigniew Kantorosinski with Joseph P. Ansell, ''The Library of Congress Information Bulletin'', September 5, 1994, p. 329. * Samuel Loeb Shneiderman, ''Arthur Szyk'', Tel Aviv : I. L. Peretz Publishing House, 1980 (in Hebrew).

External links

Arthur Szyk – Illuminator, Activist, Master

Arthur Szyk: Soldier in Art
exhibition at the

Arthur Szyk – Drawing against National Socialism and Terror
exhibition at the

German Historical Museum The German Historical Museum (german: Deutsches Historisches Museum), known by the acronym DHM, is a museum in Berlin, Germany devoted to German history. It describes itself as a place of "enlightenment and understanding of the shared history o ...

The Art and Politics of Arthur Szyk
exhibition at the

The Beauty & Anti-Nazi Message of Artur Szyk's Haggadah

Guide to the Arthur Szyk (1894–1951) Collection
at the

American Jewish Historical Society The American Jewish Historical Society (AJHS) was founded in 1892 with the mission to foster awareness and appreciation of American Jewish history and to serve as a national scholarly resource for research through the collection, preservation an ...

, New York. {{DEFAULTSORT:Szyk, Arthur 1894 births 1951 deaths 20th-century Polish people Académie Julian alumni American cartoonists Polish emigrants to the United States American Zionists Jewish American artists Jewish caricaturists Recipients of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques Artists from Łódź Polish cartoonists Polish illustrators Russian military personnel of World War I Polish people of World War I Polish people of the Polish–Soviet War Polish people of World War II 19th-century Polish Jews Polish Zionists Revisionist Zionism The Holocaust and the United States 20th-century American Jews