Shalom Moskovitz (also spelled Sholem Moscovitz, ;) c. 1887 – 1980) was an Hasidic Jewish painter in Safed, Israel. Moskovitz, known as artist Shalom of Safed, worked as a watchmaker for most of his life before beginning to paint at age 55.
His art featured biblical themes and often contained a proverb or sentence from scriptures. His paintings are considered significant to Israeli art history.
Biography
Shalom Moskovitz was born in Safed, c 1887. Moskovitz was a Hasid and heir to the rich mystical tradition of the Cabbala that also had its home in Safed.
He earned a living as a watchmaker and was commonly referred to by that name "Zeigermacher" in Yiddish. During the Israeli war for independence his workshop was destroyed. This forced him to try to try earning a living from making toys from plywood.
In the 1950's, painter Yosl Bergner lived in Safed. Bergner encountered wood toys made by Moskovitz and impressed by them, inquired after their maker. Later, Bergner met with Moskovitz, supplied him with painting supplies and encouraged him to explore painting.
Moskovitz continued to live and paint in Safed until his death there in 1980.
Artistic career
Moskovitz was a naïve artist and primitive style painter of biblical themes, a designer of stained-glass windows and practitioner of microcalligraphy.
His art has been featured at Stedelijk of Amsterdam and the Kunsthous of Zurich. A painting, "Noah's Ark" (1965) is included in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. An exhibition of his work was held at the Jewish Museum of New York in 1980.
Also in 1980, Elie Wiesel wrote a book with Moskovitz's art titled "Images from the Bible: the paintings of Shalom of Safed, the words of Elie Wiesel (with Shalom of Safed).
Moskovitz was featured in the 1988 film "Shalom of Safed – The Innocent Eye of a Man of Galilee" co-written by Daniel Doron.