Yohanan Simon

Letter with drawing, 1952, pen on paper, 30×20 cm. Signed and dated.

Estimated price: $500 - $700

You are not registered? Submit a quote by phone or leave details and we will get back to you

About: Yohanan Simon

Johann Simon is a German-born painter who has become particularly identified with the kibbutz movement and with socialist realism. Simon was born in 1905 and in 1936 immigrated to Israel and settled in Kibbutz Gan Shmuel, where he found himself engaged in a variety of works, but hardly painted. At the same time, his great talent did not go unnoticed by the captains of the "Kibbutz HaArtzi" and they recruited him for the benefit of glorifying the kibbutz movement through art. He painted pathos filled posters for "Shomer Hatzair", paintings that present the kibbutz life as particularly successful and in particular family scenes that combine happiness and intimacy, as well as works that glorify the value of the work and the beauty of the land (in a period that was defined as the "brown period"). Thus Simon was chosen to paint the official proclamation of the first Independence Day as well as a proclamation for May 1, 1950. In 1953, Simon made another significant turning point, both in terms of lifestyle and style - he separated from his first wife, moved to Tel Aviv, and began painting in his studio (located at 125 Rothschild Boulevard, a very short distance from the house of another famous painter, Yosl Bergner ) in a completely different style from the one that characterized him in the kibbutz. His works during this period became modern, abstract, very colorful and full of optimism - mainly influenced by his journey to South America - and towards the end of his life he even moved to surrealist paintings influenced by Juan Miró. Simon is also known for his oversized murals to which he was exposed during his travels to New York and Italy. In the year 50, he created a number of murals in universities, factories and public buildings, and even on ships of the Zim company. On his travels to South America he also created well-known murals in Brazil and Argentina.