Please view details of “Road to Bet-Lehem” By Reuven Rubin
In 1912, Reuven Rubin arrived in future Eretz-Israel, which was still the part of the Ottoman Empire. The painter later wrote, that when he got off the ship in Jaffa, he realized that this was his land, where he would live. Rubin is famous for the local landscapes, which he created with the Zionist enthusiasm of the early years.
“Road to Bet-Lehem” captures with its deep perspective. Especially, the miraculous calmness seems to envelop desert hills. A light blue color creates accents over sandy tints, making buildings reflect the sky and lights. A merchant sitting on a donkey is taking a camel to the city. Hills appear to be independent living characters with elegant cypresses and old olives.
This artworks dates back to 1927. That period in Rubin’s artistic career is sometimes defined as the time of Cezannesque landscapes. Reuven Rubin was among artists that rebelled against Bezalel in 1920s, supporting the idea of implementing current European styles to portray the beauty of Israel. Conveying the spirit of time, the artist infused his paintings with special translucent light. In particular, he combined modernist features with a naive style.
Interestingly,
name Bet-Lehem has contradictory etymology. In Arabic it literally means “house of meat”, while in Hebrew – “house of bread” or “house of food.”
You can find a large selection of works created by Reuven Rubin in Kings Gallery. In addition, check our blogs about “Arad Camel Trainer” and “A double portrait of two boys”.
Kings Gallery is a leading fine art gallery established in Jerusalem in 1995. We strive to collect and sell the highest quality historic and contemporary Israeli and International art. The gallery specializes in artists from the early period of the 1920’s. In addition, Kings Gallery features leading up-and-coming young artists who will definitely be prominent names in the next few years.
