Better Late

The echoes left by Litvinovsky's exhibition at the Israel Museum were strong enough to continue unveiling the man and his paintings. Maayanot Gallery, specializing in veteran and somewhat forgotten Israeli artists, initiated an exhibition of Litvinovsky's works on paper, drawn from the artist's personal estate. The gallery approached Dr. Gideon Ofrat, the curator of the estate and well-acquainted with the 10,000 works it contains, and with his assistance, thirty pieces were selected to be displayed starting tomorrow (September 15).

"This is not a research exhibition or a thesis exhibition," Ofrat quickly clarifies, "These are simply thirty good works I chose from the estate."

Litvinovsky's best works, as seen in the museum exhibition, are indeed exceptional and far removed from the commercial image that clung to the painter in his later years. Litvinovsky, who made a living from commissioned portraits and quick, lighthearted sketches, was well aware of the treasures hidden in the drawers of his home. "The house is like a pyramid concealing great treasures," says Ofrat. Most of the works from the 1920s were sold and are no longer owned by the family, but there is a detailed list of their locations. The Maayanot Gallery exhibition will include a few works from the 1930s, progress through the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, and also feature some works from the last decade of his life, the 1980s.

Despite the wide chronological range, this is not the retrospective exhibition Ofrat dreams of: "In my opinion, the museum missed a wonderful opportunity to stage a retrospective exhibition of Litvinovsky. It would have been possible to gather all the works from the 1920s, whose locations are known, and build a magnificent sequence of important works, but that wasn’t done."

Ofrat still awaits an opportunity to realize the idea of a retrospective, a plan that nearly came to fruition before the artist’s death in collaboration with the Ein Harod Museum, but ultimately did not materialize. Ofrat explains: "Litvinovsky wanted a poster similar to the one for Picasso's exhibition in Paris, measuring 2x2 meters. No one could promise him that, and the exhibition fell apart. It wasn’t megalomania, but principles he refused to compromise on. The Israel Museum also failed to reach an agreement with him on an exhibition because he insisted on showcasing only his most recent works, while the museum wanted to revisit his past. Litvinovsky refused."

Litvinovsky's past is quite complex. In the 1920s and 1930s, he received rave reviews, was considered a leading painter, and in 1944 was even granted the prestigious second floor of the Tel Aviv Museum, where he exhibited works strongly influenced by Picasso. But later, with the rise of the "New Horizons" movement and the dominance of universal abstract lyricism, Litvinovsky was pushed aside. He quickly realized his struggle was futile and withdrew to his home for the next forty years, leading a strict vegan lifestyle and continuing to paint at a relentless pace.

Litvinovsky produced prolifically and loved to repeatedly recreate sketches he had made in the 1920s and 1930s. The concept of variation was central to his work, and he could create dozens of variations on the same theme, effortlessly and naturally. His affinity for Picasso shifted at various times to an affinity for Rouault, Matisse, Miró, and Modigliani, yet throughout it all, he maintained a distinctive personal energy.

It can be assumed that Litvinovsky's lighthearted style did not convince many during periods when the zeitgeist demanded serious, poetic art. Litvinovsky did not give up. Seemingly, he lightened his brushwork further and focused on portraits, but he always knew his true worth and maintained a healthy skepticism toward gallery owners who eyed his real treasures.

His two daughters, Dafna and Chloe, agreed to add to the museum exhibition by releasing additional works from the estate. Yael Weinberg, the owner of Maayanot Gallery, invested immense efforts in framing and produced special invitations featuring a cheerful self-portrait of Litvinovsky's round, bald head, leaning on his hand. One finger, notably the middle one, is bent as if by chance, in a gesture reminiscent of a "middle finger" – perhaps directed at those who placed him where they did.

This time, with the help of Ofrat and Weinberg, Litvinovsky can continue smiling to himself. The works on paper selected by Ofrat are stunning in their beauty and refreshing in their raw directness. Carriages, donkeys, many children, trumpet players, violinists, nude women, and other subjects, far removed from the green-gray tones of his well-known lithographs. A small, exquisite collection worth seeing.