STERN GALLERY ARTIST PORTFOLIO

1894-1951

Arthur Szyk (pronounced "Shick") was a Polish-born American artist, famous for his anti-Axis political illustrations, caricatures, and cartoons during World War II, as well as his illustrations for magazine and newspaper articles and books; including an illustrated Haggadah of Pesach, the Szyk Hagaddah, cited by The Times as "worthy to be placed among the most beautiful of books that the hand of man has ever produced". His illustrations took the form of medieval miniaturists and illuminated manuscripts, which gave them a very distinctive style. Szyk dedicated his work to democracy and freedom, and end to political injustice and human suffering, saying of his work, "Art is not my aim, it is my means", and "I am but a Jew praying in art."

His work continues to be exhibited and published today. Recent exhibitions include: "Arthur Szyk - Drawing Against National Socialism and Terror" at the Deutsches Historisches Museum in Berlin, Germany (August 29, 2008 - January 4, 2009); "A One-Man Army: The Art of Arthur Szyk" at the Holocaust Museum Houston (October 20, 2008 - February 8, 2009); "The Art and Politics of Arthur Szyk" at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. (April 10 - October 14, 2002); "Arthur Szyk: Artist for Freedom" at the Library of Congress (December 9, 1999 - May 6, 2000); and "Justice Illuminated: The Art of Arthur Szyk" at the Spertus Museum in Chicago (August 16, 1998 - February 28, 1999). "Justice Illuminated: The Art of Arthur Szyk" is also a traveling exhibition of The Arthur Szyk Society.

Recent major publications about the art of Arthur Szyk include: a new edition of The Szyk Haggadah and its Companion Volume Freedom Illuminated: Understanding The Szyk Haggadah; and Justice Illuminated: The Art of Arthur Szyk, produced in conjunction with the 1998-99 Spertus Museum exhibition.