Event

Ink and Blood: Works of Arthur Szyk in the collections of McGill University Library

Monday, November 26, 2012toThursday, January 31, 2013 23:59
Redpath Library Building 3459 rue McTavish, Montreal, QC, H3A 0C9, CA

Arthur Szyk (1894 –1951) Polish-born graphic artist, book illustrator, caricaturist and stage designer. Born in Łódź, he lived and worked mainly in France, Poland and United Kingdom, finally settling permanently in the United States in 1940. Wherever he lived and worked, Szyk always regarded himself both as a Pole and a Jew.

Best known for his World War II anti-Nazi political art and widely beloved masterpieces: Passover Haggadah, and Statute of Kalisz, Szyk revived the medieval tradition of the art of illumination.

A master of miniature painting and calligraphy, Szyk brought his unmistakable style to subjects as diverse as biblical stories, literary classics, and political caricature and cartoons. Many of his works were published as limited edition fine art books and as editorials in periodicals such as Collier’s, TIME, and The New York Post.

A self-described “soldier in art,” Szyk was a committed activist-artist, advocating religious tolerance and racial equality for minorities, especially for Jews and black Americans.
Today, collectors around the globe prize Szyk’s art for its vibrant imagery and messages, which remain as stunning and timely as ever.

You can visit the conference and exhibition web site here: http://szyk.conference.mcgill.ca/

Organizers

The Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences in Canada and the Polish Library

Rare Books and Special Collections, McGill University

Back to top