Chaim Gliksberg Chaim Gliksberg ''Treasured in the Heart'', Am Oved, 1975 Tel Aviv (1904, Pinsk – 1970,

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...

) was an Israeli painter who lived and worked in Tel Aviv.

Early life and studies

Chaim Gliksberg was born in Pinsk, then in the Russian Empire, to Rabbi Shimon Yaakov Gliksberg and Cypa Mejta, daughter of Rabbi

Mordechai Dovid Alpert Mordechai Dovid Alpert ( he, מרדכי דוד אלפרט; 1850 in Slonim – 1918 in Svislovich, near Bobruysk) was born into the family of Rabbi Chaim Shabtai Alpert known as "Chaim Matmid" and who was a great-great-grandson of Aryeh Leib Epste ...

. When he was 2 years old his family moved to

Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...

. He attended cheder and the Odessa

yeshiva A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are s ...

. In 1918 he attended the Bershadsky School of Art in Odessa. From 1920 to 1924 he studied in the city’s Art Academy under Professor Dvornikov and academician Costandi, names well known in the Russian arts’ world.

Life and work in Israel

Arriving in

Eretz Israel The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine (see also Isra ...

in 1925 he went straight to Jerusalem. He worked in

Bezalel In Exodus 31:1-6 and chapters 36 to 39, Bezalel, Bezaleel, or Betzalel ( he, בְּצַלְאֵל, ''Bəṣalʼēl''), was the chief artisan of the Tabernacle and was in charge of building the Ark of the Covenant, assisted by Oholiab. The secti ...

and later in road paving. Despite living hardships he painted a great deal. In 1927 his first exhibit went on display at the Lemel School under the auspices of the Hebrew Artists Association in Eretz Israel. In 1929 the artist moved to Tel Aviv where he taught and maintained a studio. In 1930 he held a one-man show in Ohel Shem, which

Hayyim Nahman Bialik Hayim Nahman Bialik ( he, חיים נחמן ביאַליק; January 9, 1873 – July 4, 1934), was a Jewish poet who wrote primarily in Hebrew but also in Yiddish. Bialik was one of the pioneers of modern Hebrew poetry. He was part of the vangu ...

opened with an enthusiastic speech. Gliksberg was not only a wonderful portraitist and an excellent artist who delved deep into the souls of his subjects, but also a gifted writer and connoisseur of music. Distinguished authors and artists such as

Alter Druyanov Alter Druyanov ( he, אלתר דרויאנוב) (July 6 1870 – May 10, 1938) was a Russian Jewish writer, editor, translator, folklorist, journalist, historian of Hovevei Zion, early Zionism, and Zionist activist. His pen name derived from ...

and Gershon Shofman were fond of him and held him in great esteem. It seems that there was no other painter for whom Bialik sat so often. The seven portraits of Bialik painted by Gliksberg which feature the poet in summer clothes and winter clothes, with his walking stick, pouch and wide-rimmed hat are among the best portraits of Israel's national poet. Chaim Gliksberg's record of conversations he engaged in with Bialik during the sittings were assembled in a book called ''Bialik Day to Day'' and are some of the truest and most authentic among Bialik's documented oral exchanges; devoid of any attempts at falsity, distortion or artificial embellishment, they present Bialik as he truly was.Chaim Gliksberg ''Bialik Yom-Yom'', Hotsaat Ha-Kibuts Ha-Meuhad, 1948 Tel Aviv When a dream of a full-scale municipal museum in Tel Aviv began to take shape Gliksberg was invited to serve on the Museum Committee representing painters and sculptors. In 1934 Gliksberg was among the founders of the Painters and Sculptors Association.

Awards and legacy

He was awarded the Dizengoff Prize in 1936, 1937 and 1956. His paintings can be found in museums, public and private collections throughout the world. After his death a street in

was named after him.

Writing

A memoir, ''Treasured in the Heart'' was published after his death.
Chaim Gliksberg ''Bialik Yom-Yom'', Hotsaat Ha-Kibuts Ha-Meuhad, 1948 Tel Aviv

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gliksberg, Chaim 1904 births 1970 deaths People from Odesa Belarusian Jews Soviet emigrants to Mandatory Palestine Jews in Mandatory Palestine Israeli people of Belarusian-Jewish descent Israeli artists Burials at Kiryat Shaul Cemetery