1909 – 1991
Moshe Castel (1909–1991) was a founding father of modern Israeli art. Born in Jerusalem to a distinguished Sephardic family whose roots trace back to fifteenth-century Spain, he trained at Bezalel and in Paris and spent a lifetime translating Jewish and Near Eastern heritage into a wholly modern language. He is best known for his monumental basalt reliefs and paintings inspired by ancient Hebrew and Canaanite script — yet his earlier figurative period, rich with scenes of Sephardic life, Jerusalem and the mystical city of Safed, is equally treasured by collectors.
Kings Gallery presents an early figurative Castel: an intimate Safed (Zefat) street scene in oil, 38 × 30 cm, signed in Hebrew — a rare and personal window into the artist before the basalt years. Offered with full authenticity confirmed by the gallery.
