Jewish soldier at King David's Tomb.

Oil on canvas. Signed (in Hebrew and Latin letters), dated 1948.

A figure of a Jewish soldier, placing a blue-and-white flag on a tomb at the site traditionally identified as King David's Tomb on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. It was painted by Blum in 1948, during the War of Independence.

Blum's son, Eli, was killed during the Night of the Bridges operation, carried out by the Haganah in June 1946. Following his son's death, Blum's paintings increasingly began to reflect the ongoing war, its impact on the country, and the experiences of Jewish soldiers.

Two other versions of this painting are known – one, a study for the subject, and the other, a similar painting in different colors (see the website dedicated to Ludwig Blum's estate (
link ).

Painting: 35X28 cm. Frame: 46X38 cm. Inscription on verso: "Tz. Hermon".