Paul Eliasberg: Visionary Surrealism: Jewish German Expressionist

The son of a Russian-Yiddish translator, Paul Eliasberg (1907-1983) grew up in Munich, where the family frequently received visits from Heinrich and Thomas Mann, Stefan Zweig, Paul Klee and other members of the German and Russian intelligentsia.

In 1924, he began to study art in Berlin, and moved to Paris two year years later to complete his studies in 1928 at the Ranson Academy as a student of Bissire.

The came the German occupation, the fear, and the war. Although Eliasberg only became a French citizen in 1947, he served in the French Army during the phony war of 1939. As a stateless Jew, headed to the free zone in the South of France after his demobilisation, and fought in the Resistance movement.

When peace returned, Paul Elisberg exhibited in Paris at the Salon de Mai. One man shows have been dedicated to his work in Germany, for example at the Stdtische Galerie Munich and the Kunsthalle Bremen.

An exhibition of Eliasberg's art - titled "Landscapes of the Soul" - took place at the Geneva Museum of Art and History in 2020. As explains the press release of the exhibition:

"From 1958, Eliasberg saw his popularity take on an international dimension and his watercolours, drawings and prints attract wide attention. Images of imposing skies or flat landscapes, gothic cathedrals and towns, or impressions of his travels to Israel, Spain and Greece enabled Eliasberg to develop a personal form of figurative depiction. This visual language opens the doors to a visionary surrealism, thus providing him with an unexpected context."

Our painting by Eliasberg dates from this period, the late 1950s.

A strange figure stands with a child by his side; a gull is perched on a boat; there is a mysterious city in the background. With a hint of Chagall and a touch of Paul Klee in the colours, it is an excellent example of his work

A mixed media - ink and watercolour heightened with gouache measures 38 x 47 cm at sight. The overall framed size is 54 x 64 cm.