The Art and Politics of Arthur Szyk
The name Arthur Szyk may not be familiar to most art historians, but the curators at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum hope to remedy that with a new exhibition and catalog devoted to this little-known Jewish artist. A gifted and successful illuminator and book illustrator during the 1930s, Szyk recognized the threat of Nazism and devoted his art and career to combating it. With his pen and brush as weapons, Szyk produced scathing satirical drawings and cartoons in some of America's most popular publications, awakening millions to the realities of the Holocaust. Luckert, a historian and independent curator, provides a well-researched and detailed examination of the life of this complex and driven artist, considering him as a Jewish artist, wartime caricaturist, and, finally, Holocaust documentor. The book's illustrations aptly display Szyk's dual skills as a fine artist and a shaper of public opinion. In the end, Szyk's importance is measured less by his artistic contributions than by his unwavering efforts on behalf of Jews. Recommended for libraries with strong holdings in the Holocaust and Jewish history. Kraig A. Binkowski, Delaware Art Museum, WilmingtonCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.