2332) "The Refugee" (1939), "The Evacuation" (1942) and "To the Man who Restored My Belief in Humanity" (1945), Israel: "Art from the Holocaust Postage Stamp Series": Israel Postal Company (Israel Post) has issued a set of three stamps that bring out the traumatic experiences of the victims of the Holocaust: Date of stamp set issue: 26.04.2022:
About Art from the Holocaust, Israel:
This Postage Stamp issue from Israel Postal Company (Israel Post) features 3 different stamps of the Art from the Holocaust they are based on "The Refugee", "The Evacuation" and "To the Man Who Restored My Belief in Humanity".
i) The Refugee, (Brussels), 1939 by Felix Nussbaum (Oil on canvas - 61.00 cm x 76.00 cm), Yad Vashem Art Collection:
The Postage Stamp of 2.60 NIS
The painting shows a man sits slumped in a chair, his head buried in his hands in a gesture of utter despair.
At his side, a wanderer’s sack and walking stick and a bundle of his belongings indicate how he roams in a threatening world represented by the large globe, which casts a dark gloomy shadow.
A long table, bare except for the globe, dominates the room, which resembles a jail cell. Through an arched doorway, bare trees can be seen - a flock of ravens circle overhead.
The painting is a reflection of Nussbaum’s fear and desperation on the eve of the Second World War. As Germany’s threatening shadow sweeps across Europe, the artist is left with no escape route.
The desolation of the room signifies his helplessness, while the bleak view in the distance reflects grim reality – for the Jew, there is no refuge.
In this painting, Nussbaum expresses the existential experience of the German Jew who was stripped of his citizenship and sought shelter in an alienated world, which was not interested in accepting him. The refugee holds his head in his hands as a sign of his despair.
About Nussbaum:
Nussbaum, who studied art in Hamburg and Berlin and apprenticed in Rome, wandered himself through Europe after the Nazis rose to power.
In 1935, he sought refuge in Belgium with his wife, artist Felka Platek. He was arrested in May 1940, and sent to the camp at Saint Cyprien in Southern France.
He escaped a few months later and returned to Brussels, where he hid.
In June 1944, Nussbaum and Platek were both arrested and sent to the Mechelen transit camp where, in July, they were sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau on the last transport from Belgium, where they were murdered by the Nazis.
The Art Collection at Yad Vashem:
The art collection at Yad Vashem is the most comprehensive collection of art related to the Holocaust.
Most of the works at the Yad Vashem Art Museum were created in ghettos, camps, forests or while the artists were in hiding.
They document daily life during the Holocaust and provide a glimpse into the artists’ internal worlds.
Despite the harsh living conditions and constant struggle to survive, these artists were resourceful enough to overcome their lack of art supplies, and expressed their mental strength and will to live through their drawings.
While the artworks reflect a wide range of styles and themes, they all reflect the strength of the human spirit that refuses to surrender.
2) The Evacuation, Kovno Ghetto, 1942, Watercolor and ink on paper 14.00 cm x 09.10 cm made by Ben Zion (Nolik) Schmidt (Kovno, 1926 – 1944):
The Stamp of 4.20 NIS
In August 1941, at the age of 14, Schmidt was sent to the Kovno Ghetto, where he worked in the graphics shop. He was shot to death and his body burned when the ghetto was eliminated on July 13, 1944.
Of all the works Schmidt created while in the ghetto, only one survived, after it was hidden in the basement of a renovations workshop along with other papers documenting life in the ghetto.
Schmidt portrayed the Jews of Kovno Ghetto who were swiftly evacuated from their homes in January 1942, to make way for incoming Jews expelled from Germany. Their faces reflect fear and helplessness, and their clothes attest to the bitterly cold weather they faced on that day.
3) "To the Man who Restored My Belief in Humanity", Prague, 1945, (By Bacon) Gouache, coal and pencil on paper 30.00 cm x 22.10 cm:
The Stamp of 4.20 NIS
Bacon was 15 years old when he was released after surviving a death march from Auschwitz to Mauthausen and from there to Gunskirchen. His father, mother and sister Hanna were murdered.
The penniless young Bacon took shelter in a rehabilitation center near Prague founded by Přemysl Pitter to help young refugees.
Pitter was honoured as one of the Righteous among the Nations for his work during the Holocaust.
In this drawing, which Bacon dedicated to Pitter, he described the process he went through – from the darkest abyss to the light and hope that awaited him in Eretz Israel ("The Land of Israel").
Thanks to his mentor, who he portrayed as a bright and vital figure, he was able to heal and regain his ability to trust people.
In Israel, Bacon studied at the Bezalel Academy of Art, where he later taught painting and became a renowned artist.
Three Blocks (sets of four stamps) of each of the Variants:
The First Day Cover (FDC) is titled "ART FROM THE HOLOCAUST".
At bottom left is seen a bird symbolising hope, perched on a barbed wire symbolising the hardships the Jews underwent during the Holocaust.
The 3 Sheetlets of ten stamps each:
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