Wimpel commemorating the birth of the infant boy Moshe (Maurice) Ulmann. [Probably Alsace / France], February 1884.

Ink and paint on linen fabric.

Richly decorated "wimpel". Consists of four sheets of cloth of identical size, sewn together. The following inscription appears in the center (Hebrew and French): "Moshe son of Yisrael Ulmann (Maurice fils de Jsidor Ulmann) born on Sunday, the 28th of Shevat 5644 [1884] …".

This wimpel is adorned with more than 50 hand-painted illustrations, covering most of its surface, giving it a magnificently colorful richness. The illustrations bear a variety of themes and motifs, including animals (birds, butterflies, fish – the latter, Pisces, being the Zodiac sign of the newborn child – as well as a lion, an antelope, a deer, and other creatures); musicians (playing the cello, violin, trumpet drum, accordion, and other instruments); angels; illustrations of biblical scenes, with emphasis on themes related to Moses (in connection to the child’s Hebrew name, "Moshe"), specifically the figures of Moses and Aaron, Pharaoh’s daughter discovering Moses on the Nile, the Exodus from Egypt and crossing of the Red Sea, Adam and Eve, and more; and illustrations depicting various mitzvot or the cycle of life, including learning Torah, a woman lighting a Sabbath lamp, a feast (Purim?), a Chuppah, and more.

360X22.5 cm. Overall good condition.

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.

"Das Familienbilderbuch", a children's book handwritten and hand-illustrated by the Jewish-German artist Philipp Erlanger. Germany [Braunschweig?], 1922. German.

Pencil, ink, and watercolor on paper.

A unique, hand-illustrated children's book, created by the Jewish-German painter and sculptor Philipp Erlanger. The book contains twenty-five vibrant watercolor illustrations depicting scenes of rural life, accompanied by handwritten German captions. Among the scenes illustrated: horses pulling a cart, donkeys transporting grain to a mill, farm and domestic animals, farm children, peasants at work, and more. The front cover features an additional illustration, signed "Ph. Erlanger".

Erlanger created this book as a gift for his niece, Lotte, in honor of the silver anniversary (25 years) of his sister Josephine and her husband, neurologist Saul Siegfried Löwenthal. In the years that followed, the book was passed down to each new child born into the family, until 1935, when the family left Germany.

Several handwritten inscriptions on the cover and front endpaper document the book’s history (in German): on the front endpaper, a dedication from Josephine and Siegfried (signed "Uncle and Aunt Löwenthal") gifting the book to Philipp’s son, Ralph; on the front cover, a second inscription in Philipp’s own hand (dated 1931) gifting the book back to "Lörchen" – the daughter of Lotte, the book’s original recipient, who was then about a year old; at the bottom of the cover, an unsigned inscription from 1935 gifting the book to "Our Uri" – the son of Lotte’s brother, who was about two years old at the time (that same year, the family left Germany and immigrated to Eretz Israel).

Philipp Erlanger (1870-1934), a Jewish sculptor and painter born in Frankfurt, studied at the Städelsches Kunstinstitut in Frankfurt and the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. His style was influenced by his teacher, the German painter Heinrich Johann von Zügel (1850-1941), known for his depictions of farm animals and pastoral scenes. Following his sister, Erlanger moved to Braunschweig, where he exhibited his paintings and sculptures and where he passed away. In 1935, his sister and her family left Germany for Palestine, bringing this book with them.

[25] leaves (illustrated on one side). 27.5X20.5 cm. Good condition. Stains and minor blemishes. Some pencil and colored pencil markings. Wear to pages. Hardcover, cloth-covered boards (with a “window” on the front cover, containing the additional illustration). Stains and defects to cover (to cloth and illustration). Small tears along the spine.