The San Francisco call., 1907-01-27
A Dout a Young Artist of the
Jewish Renaissance

Jewish Renaissance
IRON the anectionate and capable
J. hand Of H. s. Levussove, an in
structor in the art department OF
the College OF the City OF New
York. comes an intensely interesting
monograph. "The New Art OF an
Ancient People-The Work OF Ephraim
Nose Lilien." It is a strong and in
structive appreciation OF an artist as
yet scarcely known on this side OF the
Atlantic one of the foremost OF the so
called "Secessfonists" OF Europe who
sre heralding the renaissance Of Juda-
Ism In religion and in al the arts.
With the appreciation go some excel
lent reproductions OF the Characteristic
works in black and white OF the young
Jewish illustrator. accompanied by
equally excellent interpretations OF the
piot zreE.
Lilien is only 80. He comes from 4
poor hamlet OF Austrian Galicia, out
of the unlikely environment OF an op-
pressed and downcast village where the
Jew batter. official and otherwise, has
his Niu OF a little population chiefly
iish-spealxing. Torah-loving, hard
working mechanics and small shop
keepers, who live IN poverty, study
Gods law and obey his command
rnents" The son of 2 wood turner TOO
schools. Lilien had no education but
that drawn from the Bible. He was
spprenticed 10 a sign painter because Of
childish fondness for drawing pic
tures," and so earned his way TO the
CrRcow Academy OF Fine Arts and
thence 10 MunichS where, for lack Of
money, he must needs fall back on that
which was within him and develop it
unzided and uninstructed. But Il old
develop. and now he is IN Berlin, rec
ognfzed for his undoubted genius and
ranked among the most strikingly sue
cessf- and promiseful OF the illustra-
tors Of these times.
II Is the renaissance OF the ancient
peoples art that attracts rather than
the work, however worthy, OF any one
OF tho eXponents or that movement.
There IS much In the style and the
conception OF this young idealist and
dreamer TO stimulate the fancy and
quicken the Imagination; & holds much
OF the infinite pathos inseparable from
any consideration OF the Jew among
tho peoples of the earth: II lifts. at
times the torch OF prophecy and lights
for s. little way the future OF the new
national tendency Of the scattered out
casts Of the centuries, while il iuumines
their deep, dark background Of untold
anG unreliable suffering. But the thing
that thrills is the renaissance itself
the significance OF the Uplift OF g race
burdcned with the SAD traditions Of
twice a thousand years; the foTegath-
crlM Of the homeless wanderers; the
revN 2 OF their art their literature and
their religion.
For centuries" 10 quote Levus-
sove. homeless and dispersed, IN many
lands confined IN ghettos, without
freedom Of speech, occupation or
thought, one would have expected them
10 lose all national spirit. And surely,
when VIC take into account the ten
dency OF all subordinate6 people the
tendency to assimilate with the opin-
sons and ideals OF the dominant, we
would naturally conclude that. by our
time all their characteristic and dis
finccive points OF view should have
been completely obliterated. And yet,
the Jewish soul, Tar from having eX-
hausted Itself IN what Matthew Arnold
calls its message OF conduct and
obedience 70 the word OF tho Lord IS
now awakening TO q newer activity and
A larger creative activity. Not only
have its recent travafls brought forth
a Zionist political movement, but, in
eddftfon, an extensive literature, a
drama and an art The rising sun OF
zion Is shedding its light on every
thing Jewish. and this light IS reflected
sn the thousand works OF the younger
intellectual Jews. Ephraim Nose
IfIien Is one OF these younger Jews"
OF me school 20 which Lilien be-
JonRA thia kindly interpreter and
r,raisefuI critic says that its adherents
have been developing a new art.
whose content and style, even II az
times erroneous. bear witness TO the
zeal with which they seek to create
new end more beautiful combinations
IN color and form
And thus Levussove sums Up the
characteristic qualities OF Lilien's
work: '-Teohnicality, q studied sub
orSfnation OF the minor elements 20
bring out the main idea OF the picture;
an effective employment OF large
y1s<Asses IN composition, and OF delicate.
= vg1hnic, living lines IN the working
out OF details. And IN content a pro-
found psthos, q pathos born OF his
Judaism, ano a tremendous power OF
appealing directly 70 the imagination
sn expressing national suffering and
national hopes"
CB: ". Huebsch. New York. Price 75
cents)