Itzak Holtz artworks are always incredible, but there’s always a select few which stand out. We’re going to look at a couple of his pieces which truly display his skill and attention to detail.
First, “On The Way To The Market”, which is an oil on canvas piece. What I love most about this painting is the possibility of the stories in every single detail. The woman’s face is wrinkled but still she endeavors on, supported by her cane and determination. Her shawl is vibrant with color, perhaps from a design or from mendings over the years.
This signed lithograph also demonstrates Holtz’s skill. Lithographs are a type of printing, and the detail and attention needed to create the Hebrew letters and lines of newspaper text is amazing. These details are also prominent in the individual hairs of our subject’s beard.
Take a look at this oil on canvas painting, the perfect capture of a moment in time, captured by our artist’s skilled hand. Our subject reads the Yiddish newspaper with his cane hooked over his left arm. It’s unclear where he is, but there’s enough serenity to take a moment to read an article.
Only with Itzak Holtz’s eye for detail could this piece truly come to life. Our sofer has bent himself completely over the table, intensely focused on the text at hand. He carefully braces his hand on the parchment, careful not to smudge the letters but wary of letting the paper shift.
Finally, “At Work”, an oil on canvas painting from 1972. Our subject sits next to his desk which holds his sewing machine, hand stitching part of what appears to be a suit jacket. Thanks to Holtz’s fine detailing, we can see all the layers of thread on the industrial-sized spools of thread.
