Michail Grobman (b. 1939), portfolio containing a dozen prints. Signed in the plate; some works dated 1967/1968 in the plate; signed and numbered in pencil, XIV/XV. Housed in cloth-covered case. 65X50 cm. Good condition. Michail Grobman (b. 1939), Russian-Israeli painter and poet, native of Moscow. Among the founders of the Second Russian Avant-Garde – a title he himself coined – in the Soviet Union in the 1960s. Immigrated to Israel in 1971. Established the Leviathan Group in 1975 in collaboration with Avraham Ofek and Samuel Ackerman. The style of the group represented a blend of contemporary art, Jewish themes, symbolism, and metaphysics. In the manifesto entitled "The Leviathan Declaration, " publicized in 1976, Grobman set forth the group's goals: "Our joint appearance is an incipient attempt to create an inclusive national style that befits the spirit of the building of the New Israel […], our political basis [is] Zionism. Our spiritual basis – Jewish mysticism. Three foundations define our artistic stance: 1. Primitivism 2. Symbol 3. Letter." In an interview with the children's weekly magazine "Davar Liyeladim" in 1981, Grobman had this to say about his work: “Nothing I do pertains to the realm of psychology, nor to any emotional aspect of life. Nor am I endeavoring to imitate Nature […] One must never attempt to transfer any of these beautiful living things around us onto a piece of paper and turn them into something of a forgery of life. The purpose of the painting is entirely different […] Painting and art must serve to build the conditions for an altogether new world! Just as God, once upon a time, created the world as a work of art which is presently alive with us living in it, so must the artist seek the opportunity to create a totally new condition, which, in the case of a picture, is something we absorb through the eye." Provenance: The Rami Cohen Collection.

Michail Grobman (b. 1939), two (identical) portfolios of prints; each containing a dozen prints. Signed in the plate; some works dated 1967/1968 in the plate; signed and numbered in pencil, 20/85 and 25/85. Housed in cloth-covered cases. 65X50 cm. Good condition. One print in duplicate (duplicate copy numbered 84/85). Michail Grobman (b. 1939), Russian-Israeli painter and poet, native of Moscow. Among the founders of the Second Russian Avant-Garde – a title he himself coined – in the Soviet Union in the 1960s. Immigrated to Israel in 1971. Established the Leviathan Group in 1975 in collaboration with Avraham Ofek and Samuel Ackerman. The style of the group represented a blend of contemporary art, Jewish themes, symbolism, and metaphysics. In the manifesto entitled "The Leviathan Declaration, " publicized in 1976, Grobman set forth the group's goals: "Our joint appearance is an incipient attempt to create an inclusive national style that befits the spirit of the building of the New Israel […], our political basis [is] Zionism. Our spiritual basis – Jewish mysticism. Three foundations define our artistic stance: 1. Primitivism 2. Symbol 3. Letter." In an interview with the children's weekly magazine "Davar Liyeladim" in 1981, Grobman had this to say about his work: “Nothing I do pertains to the realm of psychology, nor to any emotional aspect of life. Nor am I endeavoring to imitate Nature […] One must never attempt to transfer any of these beautiful living things around us onto a piece of paper and turn them into something of a forgery of life. The purpose of the painting is entirely different […] Painting and art must serve to build the conditions for an altogether new world! Just as God, once upon a time, created the world as a work of art which is presently alive with us living in it, so must the artist seek the opportunity to create a totally new condition, which, in the case of a picture, is something we absorb through the eye." Provenance: The Rami Cohen Collection.

"The Tombs of the House of David and the Scroll of Songs of Songs and Ecclesiastes", lithographic micrography. [Poland?, 1920s or 1930s]. The micrography is comprised of the scroll of Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes in cursive script. Brown ink shading added by hand. Caption at bottom, reading: "The Tombs of the House of David and the Scroll of Songs of Songs and Ecclesiastes". Signed Is. Goodleser in Hebrew and English (presumably, Israel Goodleser, 1901, Poland – 1971, South Africa). The work depicts the tombs of the House of David – one of the holy sites repeatedly depicted in maps of Palestine, "Mizrach" plates, prints and other printed items and popular art depicting holy tombs and sites of Palestine. Though different in each occurrence, these are always depicted in the naïve, symbolic manner characteristic of Jewish folk art, a style that is also evident in the present work. 26X20.5 cm. Fair condition. Worming affecting text. Stains. Paper frame mounted to edges.