Ludwig Blum

Flower Vase, 1938,
Oil on canvas, 101X127 cm.
Signed and dated.

The authenticity of this painting has been confirmed by Mrs. Mira Chen, the artist’s granddaughter.

Ludwig Blum, known for his expertise in landscape paintings, also painted a number of flower paintings. In his comprehensive exhibition at Bet Hatfuzot (Ramat Aviv, 2009), two flower paintings from 1944 were exhibited – A ”Vase with Chrysanthemums” and a ”Vase with Roses”.
Flower paintings were (and possibly still are) highly attractive for buyers and Blum – who was one of the only Israeli artists of his generation that made a living only from the sale of paintings – saw nothing wrong by supplying that demand.
For a pleasant person was he. This painting is one of two flower paintings he painted in 1928. But it is unique in its luscious variety of flowers. He places the flowers in the center of the canvas, establishing the balance to the composition with the diamond shape of the table, two symmetrical squares at its sides – the electric heating system and the fireplace.
This was a permanent trick by Blum: an infrastructure of a round, rectangle or diamond shape table as a base to a vase. And so, on the foundations of geometrical shapes in this painting Blum places the large and colorful ”fan” of flowers. Abundance never before and a never again seen in flower paintings by the artist: lilies, snapdragons, chrysanthemums and more – flowers that are beyond identification.
Blum probably collected and assembled this bunch of flowers specifically for this painting, a challenge in itself. Here, as opposed to the toned down chrysanthemums or roses (six-seven) from 1944, or another painted in 1928 (approx. 35 flowers), are almost one hundred flowers!
Perhaps a celebration of blossoming, spring, Eros, by the 37 year old, young artist.
However, Blum, who remembered well the flower paintings he saw at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, prior to his arrival in Israel in 1923, made an exception to his usual avoidance of signs of pain and grief, and in the manner of allegorical flower paintings of the 17th century, he adds a few petals that have fallen on the table, echoing the ”vanitas”, the emptiness of earthly life and unworthy of earthly goods.
Nonetheless, the Blum-esque optimism prevails: the floral joy makes a Baroque eruption, supported by striking brushwork in the background, emphasized even more in the painting from 1928. And so, instead of a banal picture of flowers, this painting cries out ”Hallelujah!” to the strength of life, its beauty and sensuality, the artist defies the ”memento mori” (a reminder of death”) symbolized by the fallen flower.
(Translated and adapted from Gidon Ofrat).

Estimated price: $15,000 - $20,000

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About: Ludwig Blum

Blum was born in 1891 in Czechoslovakia and died in 1974 in Jerusalem. He studied painting in several cities throughout Europe and in 1923 immigrated to Israel. He started to paint through research trips across Israel and it’s surrounding countries. Known mainly for his realistic Israeli landscape paintings, the city of Jerusalem in particular, he began his career as a portrait painter, with important figures from the Middle East as his subjects. In his paintings he offers different views on Jerusalem, the Temple Mount, and other holy places and surrounding areas. Moreover, he painted various subjects of an exotic and oriental nature. Bloom is known as a painter of the Holy City, but he was also one of the first to paint the city of Tel Aviv in the twenties.
Beyond his realistic paintings of Jerusalem, Bloom was also connected to the city by other avenues. He was one of the main initiators to find the Jerusalem Artists House and served as its chairman for numerous years. His broad contribution to the city awarded him with the city's most beloved artist's award in 1968. His paintings were featured in many exhibitions in Israel and across the world, which lead to many of his paintings being in private and public collections today.