Israel Hershberg (; born 1948) is a figurative painter who lives and works in

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

. Hershberg is the director and founder of the Jerusalem Studio School.

Biography

Israel Hershberg was born in 1948 in a

displaced persons camp A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees and people in refugee-like situations. Refugee camps usually accommodate displaced people who have fled their home country, but camps are also made for internally displace ...

in Linz, Austria. In 1949, he immigrated to Israel. In 1958 he moved with his parents to the United States where he attended the Brooklyn Museum School, Brooklyn, NY from 1966 to 1968. In 1972 he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York. In 1973 he received his Master of Fine Arts, State University of New York, Albany, New York. From 1973 to 1984 he taught painting and drawing at the

Maryland Institute College of Art The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is a Private university, private art school, art and design college in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1826 as the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, it is regarded as one of ...

, and in 1984, he taught at the

New York Academy of Art The New York Academy of Art is a private art university in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City. The academy offers a Master of Fine Arts degree with a focus on technical training and critical discourse, as well as a post-baccalaureate Cer ...

. That year, he moved to Israel with his wife and family.

Artistic career

In 1998, Hershberg founded the Jerusalem Studio School, a private art school in Jerusalem's

Talpiot Talpiot (, literally 'turrets' or 'magnificently built') is an Israeli neighborhood in southeastern Jerusalem, established in 1922 by Zionist pioneers. It was built as a garden suburb on land purchased by the Tel Aviv-based Palestine Land Devel ...

neighborhood that offers intensive training in drawing and painting within the figurative art tradition. It is considered to be the first school established in Israel to teach realist painting based on observation in the tradition of the Old Masters. Hershberg heads the school's “master class” program and is the artistic director of the JSS.
In the Garden of Eden," Aryeh Tepper, July 14, 2010,

Jewish Ideas Daily Jewish Ideas Daily was a website that reported on the news, culture, and political issues relating to Judaism and Israel. Its mission was to be "the premier aggregator and originator of Jewish ideas on the web". It was founded in January 2010 un ...

. In 2014, Hershberg founded JSS in Civita - Summer Art School and Residency in Italy, a summer art program in

Civita Castellana Civita Castellana is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Viterbo, north of Rome. Mount Soracte lies about to the south-east. History Civita Castellana was settled during the Iron Age by the Italic Falisci, who called it " Falerii". Afte ...

, Italy. Hershberg believes that for a true painter, "reality is a continual feast, a never-ending delight to the eyes." He quotes Albert York, who said "I think we live in a Paradise. . . . This is a Garden of Eden." Hershberg's work is included in private and public collections internationally. Israel Hershberg is represented by the Marlborough Gallery in New York, and lives and works in Jerusalem, Israel.

Awards and recognition

Hershberg was the recipient of a

Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a $25,000 (about $550,000 in 2023) gift from Edsel Ford. ...

scholarship in 1980. He was awarded the

Sandberg Prize The Sandberg Prize for Israeli Art refers to a prize for art and design awarded at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, with a particular focus on Israeli art. The prize was inaugurated in 1968 with funds from an anonymous New York City, New York–based ...

for Israeli Art in 1991 and the Tel Aviv Museum prize for Israeli Art in 1998. His work has been purchased by the

Israel Museum The Israel Museum (, ''Muze'on Yisrael'', ) is an Art museum, art and archaeology museum in Jerusalem. It was established in 1965 as Israel's largest and foremost cultural institution, and one of the world's leading Encyclopedic museum, encyclopa ...

, the

Tel Aviv Museum of Art The Tel Aviv Museum of Art ( ''Muzeon Tel Aviv Leomanut'') is an art museum in Tel Aviv, Israel. The museum is dedicated to the preservation and display of modern and contemporary art both from Israel and around the world. History The Tel Aviv ...

, the

Jewish Museum A Jewish museum is a museum which focuses upon Jews and may refer seek to explore and share the Jewish experience in a given area. Notable Jewish museums include: Albania * Solomon Museum, Berat Australia * Jewish Museum of Australia, Melbourn ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and the

National Gallery of Canada The National Gallery of Canada (), located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is Canada's National museums of Canada, national art museum. The museum's building takes up , with of space used for exhibiting art. It is one of the List of large ...

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

Gallery

File:Cow%27s Tongue.jpg, Cow's Tongue No. 74, 1987-88

Collection
B88.0151 Image:B94_0763~Hirshberg 7 Smoked Fish,1992_2.jpg, Seven Smoked Fish on a Grinding Slab, 1992

Collection
B94.0763 File:Nova II, 1993, Oil on paper mounted on wood, 62.5 x 82 cm..jpg, "Nova II" (1993), Oil on paper mounted on wood, 62.5 x 82 cm. File:Penumbrian Bowl, 2003, Oil on linen and wood, 25.5 x 35.7 cm..jpg, "Penumbrian Bowl" (2003), Oil on linen and wood, 25.5 x 35.7 cm File:Aria Umbra, 2003-2004,Oil on linen,119 x 250 cm..jpg, "Aria Umbra" (2003-2004), Oil on linen, 119 x 250 cm. Collection:

, Jerusalem File:Fratta Todina From Afar, 2005, Oil on linen mounted on wood, 23.1 x 26.2 cm..jpg, "Fratta Todina From Afar" (2005), Oil on linen mounted on wood, 23.1 x 26.2 cm.

References

External links

* * *
"From Afar" Exhibition at Marlborough Chelsea

Israel Hershberg website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hershberg, Israel Living people Sandberg Prize recipients Israeli painters 1948 births Artists from Linz