Nachum Gutman - biography

Nachum Gutman (alternate romanization: Nahum Gutman; Hebrew: נחום גוטמן‎: born 5 October 1898, died 28 November 1980) was a Russian-born Israeli painter, sculptor and author.

Early life

Gutman was born in Teleneşti , Bessarabia, then part of the Russian Empire. He was the fourth child of Alter and Rivka Gutman. His father was a Hebrew writer and educator who wrote under the pen name S. Ben Zion. In 1903, the family moved to Odessa, and two years later, to Ottoman Palestine.

Artistic career

Gutman helped pioneer a distinctively Israeli style, moving away from the European influences of his teachers. He worked in many different media: oils, watercolours, gouache and pen and ink. His sculptures and brightly colored mosaics can be seen in public places around Tel Aviv. Indoor murals depicting the history of Tel Aviv can be seen in the western wing of the Shalom Tower and the Chief Rabbinate building. A mosaic fountain with scenes from Jewish history stands at the corner of Bialik Street, opposite the old Tel Aviv municipality building.

Gutman's artistic style was eclectic, ranging from figurative to abstract. Gutman was also a well-known writer and illustrator of children's books.

Awards and honours

Gutman received many art and literary prizes:

• 1938: Dizengoff Prize for painting (also in 1956)
• 1946: Lamdan Prize for children's literature
• 1955: Sicily Award for watercolor painting at the São Paulo Biennale
• 1956: Dizengoff Prize for painting (also in 1938)
• 1962: Hans Christian Andersen Literary Prize on behalf of Unesco for his book "Path of Orange Peels"
• 1964: Yatziv Prize
• 1969: Fichman Prize for Literature and Art
• 1974: Honorary Doctor of Philosophy from Tel Aviv University
• 1976: Honorary Citizen of Tel Aviv
• 1978: Israel Prize, for children's literature

The Nachum Gutman Museum, showcasing the artist's work, was established in the Neve Tzedek neighborhood of Tel Aviv.