A Jewish bride.
Oil on panel. Signed sideways lower right.
A frontal portrait of a young Jewish bride adorned with pearl necklaces and earrings, elegantly dressed with a richly embroidered Brusttuch (breast kerchief) and a bridal veil. The background features an opulent Torah Ark curtain in shades of blue, turquoise and gold, embroidered with intricate floral motifs, and a brown embroidered valance.
Never before at auction.
For portraits with similar motifs, see: print no. 15, Junge Jüdin, in the portfolio "Isidor Kaufmann" (Vienna-Leipzig: Manz, 1925, original painting lost; reproduced in Natter, p. 399); Sabbath Eve (Freitagabend, Natter, p. 205).
Two additional portrait paintings by Kaufmann are known to feature a similar Torah Ark curtain and valance. Both were reproduced in the aforementioned portfolio: print no. 7 (Der Fanatiker) and print no. 10 (Junger Rabbiner aus N.), see: Natter, pp. 209 and 337.
Reference: G. Tobias Natter, Rabbiner, Bocher, Talmudschüler, Bilder des Wiener Malers, Isidor Kaufmann, 1853-1921, Vienna, 1995.
For comparison, see: Kestenbaum, March 2017, Lot 1.
Wood panel: 20X17.8 cm. Original gilt frame: 32.5X30 cm.
Provenance:
1. Oscar and Regina Gruss Collection, New York.
2. Heirs of the above.
Certified by the Art Loss Register (ALR); certificate enclosed.
Isidor Kaufmann (1853-1921)
One of the foremost Jewish painters of the 19th century, Isidor Kaufmann was born in Arad, then part of Hungary, and was active in Vienna. Initially working as a clerk, he pursued private studies in painting before enrolling at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. Kaufmann embarked on extensive journeys through Jewish communities in Poland, Galicia, and Ukraine, capturing the impressions of these encounters in his works. His most significant paintings include portraits of Jewish men and women, Rabbis and Yeshiva students, genre scenes depicting daily life in the shtetls of Eastern Europe, and evocative renderings of synagogues and study halls, characterized by meticulous detail and a vivid palette.
The Oscar and Regina Gruss Collection
In 1939, Oscar and Regina Gruss fled their hometown of Lvov (then part of Poland, now in Ukraine), narrowly escaping the Holocaust, and eventually settling in the United States. In the years following the war, they devoted themselves to assembling one of the finest collections of Jewish ceremonial art in the USA, with a particular focus on silverwork and 19th-century Jewish paintings.
Their collection featured masterpieces by celebrated artists such as Isidor Kaufmann, Moritz Daniel Oppenheim, and Solomon Alexander Hart. Many of these works were generously donated to The Jewish Museum, New York, while others remained within the family. The paintings in this catalogue are being offered at auction for the first time.
For additional items from the collection of Oscar and Regina Gruss in the present catalogue, see lot nos. 133, 144, 147, 153, 154, 204 and 205.
