José Gurvich was an Uruguayan painter and one of the fundamental figures of the famous Torres García Workshop. The artist was born in Lithuania in 1925. However, when he was four years old, the family emigrated to Montevideo, Uruguay. This deicison stemmed from the religious persecution. Jose Gurvich started his education in the National School of Fine Arts, where his classmate was José Cuneo. In 1944, through the violin teacher, he met Joaquín Torres García. Furthermore, a year later Gurvich entered the Torres García Workshop and found there his vocation. After joining Constructive Art Association, the artist played an active role in it until the closure.
Israel
After several trips to Europe and a big exhibition in Rome in 1955, Gurvich became more interested in Jewish culture and roots. So, he came to Ramot Menasche kibbutz in Israel, where his sister already lived. Moreover, he worked as a shepherd and upon the request painted a mural for the public dining room. The Israeli period is full of pastorals, landscapes and Jewish folklore images. Furthermore, the artist descibed this times, as important ones: “Israel gave me the possibility to feel free… There, I felt that the images that surged spontaneously as I painted were valid. They proceeded from a zone one reaches through intuition and imagination.”
Kings gallery
Our gallery has two artworks by José Gurvich. Heroes of the “Man portrait” and “Couple” are good natured and a bit dreamlike figures. It is interesting, how Gurvich manages to transform the influence of Torres García and the ideas of constructivism into his life perceptions and art vision. The artist formed unique style and depicted a metamorphosed world. In particular, the eyes in the paintings are highly expressive. Tranquil, but, at the same time sad works are full of emotions, that are close to everyone.
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 primarily in artists from the early period of the 1920’s. Besides, Kings Gallery features leading up-and-coming young artists who will definitely be prominent names in the next few years.
