Description
Geller’s Yiddish Motifs portfolio depicts scenes of Jewish identity and daily life in a series of seven woodcuts printed on Japanese wood veneer paper, an unusual paper choice, given that it was typically used for decorative purposes. Maxwell Street was a predominantly Jewish neighborhood on the city’s Near West Side, known for its large outdoor bazaar, sadly dismantled in the 1990s by development. These prints show a crowded marketplace, a vendor at work, a student in deep concentration, and a pair of street musicians. The Yiddish Motifs portfolio was a great success, with the entire edition selling out in just three weeks.
Accession Number
4551
Medium
Woodcut in black ink on Japanese wood veneer paper, laid down on ivory laid paper with letterpress in black ink
Dimensions
Image: 25.3 × 20.5 cm (10 × 8 1/8 in.); Wood veneer paper: 28.8 × 22.5 cm (11 3/8 × 8 7/8 in.); Sheet: 43 × 32.5 cm (16 15/16 × 12 13/16 in.)
Classification
woodcut
Credit Line
Gift of the Artist