In 1931, when Mané-Katz painted this fierce Russian landscape, he had already acquired French citizenship and was a successful artist in his adopted country. Mané-Katz first arrived in Paris in 1913, staying only one year before returning to the Ukraine. He settled in France in 1921 and quickly became identified with the Jewish artists of Montparnasse. Although religious subjects and Jewish genre scenes were rare among the avant-garde, he remained faithful to his orthodox heritage, choosing as his primary theme life in the shtetls of Eastern Europe. Russian Shtetl shows Mané-Katz’s admiration for Rembrandt in its dark, northern tone. The tumultuous brushwork and violent masses of somber color that engulf the lone figure convey the harshness of everyday life.
			Mané-Katz (b. Kremenchug, Ukraine, 1894-d. Tel Aviv, Israel, 1962) Russian Shtetl, 1931 Oil on canvas The Jewish Museum, New York. Gift of Norman and Lois Barbanell Rosen, 1981-239