The Collector,Richard McBee

The Collector

Without collectors of Jewish art, our past would ? bit-by-bit ? disappear, and our artistic future would be in serious doubt. Artwork, finely made books, and Judaic crafts would simply be discarded once they had begun to wear out, or when fashion changes and newer items become available. Were it not for collectors who bring our culture's artifacts together, maintain a faith in contemporary artists and proclaim their importance, our cultural heritage would be poorer indeed. These individuals are on the front lines of the cultural self- consciousness of the Jewish people, helping to define, preserve and foster our cultural expressions.

Collectors can start almost anywhere ? sometimes one Kiddush cup too many will spark an interest in collecting Kiddush cups. Many individuals simply begin with, "I like that" to "I want that" and finally to "I collect this because it is an expression of who I am." Collecting is an intellectual and aesthetic adventure, exploring one cultural avenue after another by purchasing and displaying a treasured part of our Jewish heritage.

In the far reaches of Brooklyn, there is a private collection of Jewish paintings. The Fruchter Collection specializes in contemporary artwork of Jewish subjects by Jewish artists. The vast majority of the paintings were done within the last 25 years. Mr. Eli Fruchter has gotten to know the artists, either through various galleries, dealers or personal contact. He knows their history, the scope of work they produce, and even personal details of their lives. These artists include Itshak Holtz (shown at Yeshiva University Museum in 1992), Shaul Viktor, Raphael Eisenberg, Elena Fleroua (the one non-Jew in his collection), Josef Dersowitz, Zalman Kleiman, and Robert Fineland. There have even been instances in which the collector would suggest a detail or subject that the artist would then execute. What has emerged is a truly creative and interactive relationship between the artist and the collector.

Batei Hungarium Jerusalaim (1994), oil on canvas by Itshak Holtz, The Fruchter Collection, Brooklyn, New York.

Batei Hungarium Jerusalaim was painted by Itshak Holtz, a well established Jewish artist who was born in Poland, grew up in Geula, Jerusalem and now lives in New York. The relationship of artist and collector is exemplified by their friendship. This painting, done in 1994, is of a specific courtyard in Meah Shearim and summons personal memories for the collector. It was where Eli Fruchter lived for two years as a child, and so is a kind of marker in the narrative of his life. The painting is typical of Holtz's cityscapes, obsessively recording building features and neighborhood characteristics as each was a portrait of a great dignitary. This genre painter artfully leads us through the picture, like hearing an often-told tale. Our gaze moves left to right, from the woman on the steps, past clustered figures, a father and son walking to shul and finally, we notice the little child, alone in the middle of the courtyard. It seems to be an especially personal touch.

View of the Western Wall (1997), oil on canvas by Shaul Viktor, The Fruchter Collection, Brooklyn, New York.

Shaul Viktor, a Lubavitch ba'al teshuva from Russia, is well represented in the Fruchter Collection, especially by the View of the Western Wall, a carefully composed panorama of our holiest site. In the late afternoon sun ,the Wall and entire southern portion of the Temple Mount glow while deep shadows engulf the courtyard beneath and the dark trees growing above on the Mount itself. The light and darkness in the painting speak ominously of the tension and division at the spiritual heart of Eretz Yisrael.

Mr. Praeger (2001), oil on canvas by Raphael Eisenberg, The Fruchter Collection, Brooklyn, New York.

Another haunting vision by Viktor is the Interior of the Abuhav Synagogue. Here, the blues and purples vibrate along the curved arches of the ancient interior creating a pulsating, interior spiritual environment. In contrast with these landscapes, Mr. Praeger, a portrait done last year by Brooklyn artist Raphael Eisenberg, emphasizes an entirely different aspect of Mr. Fruchter's collection. This painting, characteristic of Eisenberg's works, is a psychologically intense and intimate portrait of an individual we all might recognize. Slumped in his shirtsleeves, hemmed in his chair by a hasty yellow backdrop and the edges of the canvas, the subject stares out at us, surprised and a bit defiant about this unexpected scrutiny. The unabashed realism, conveyed by quick and sure brushstrokes and deft drawing, betrays an unease we all feel being on public view. Isn't this one aspect of a collector's vision, a revelation of the private person?<

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The Fruchter Collection has a whole series of nostalgic vignettes of Hasidic life by Josef Dersowitz. A Wedding, Welcoming a New Sefer Torah and Havdalah are represented in a folksy primitive style, evoking timeless scenes that seem to share little with the here and now. It is a realm of golden memory, untouched by dispute, complexity or the outside world. Perhaps for the collector, it is an unreachable ideal or a storybook past.

An entirely different frame of mind is at work in the large painting by Hasidic artist Zalman Kleiman of Meah Shearim Street. Whereas the Itshak Holtz of Meah Shearim depicts community life and a childhood remembered, this painting is damp and chilly, as thin, isolated Hasidim roam an otherwise deserted street glistening with recent rain. Even the two black-garbed men walking side by side at the distant end of the street are silent and lonely in what becomes a Giacometti-like tableau. The pessimism that seeps to the surface is yet another aspect of the multiple visions of the Fruchter Collection.

Meah Shearim Street (1995), oil on canvas by Zalman Kleiman, The Fruchter Collection, Brooklyn, New York.

What is important here is not whether the viewer likes every single artwork. Remember, we have been invited to see a personal collection. Rather, what is of significance is that we are now drawn into an encounter with both the artwork and the collector. Seeing paintings in a collection like this, one experiences a complex vision of the collector's taste, history and aesthetics as expressed in someone else's work. That is incomparably richer than simply viewing art in a random gallery or museum. This collection brings a personal and individual dimension to the experience to viewing art. The effort Eli Fruchter has expended to purchase and guard this piece of our culture is also that which can enable Jewish art to grow and prosper.

Richard McBee is a painter of Torah subject matter and writer on Jewish Art. He is active in the American Guild of Judaic Art (jewishart.org) and the Young Israel of Fifth Avenue. Please feel free to email him with comments at mcbee@escape.com.

Batei Hungarium Jerusalaim (1994), oil on canvas by Itshak Holtz, The Fruchter Collection, Brooklyn, New York.
View of the Western Wall (1997), oil on canvas by Shaul Viktor, The Fruchter Collection, Brooklyn, New York.
Mr. Praeger (2001), oil on canvas by Raphael Eisenberg, The Fruchter Collection, Brooklyn, New York.
Meah Shearim Street (1995), oil on canvas by Zalman Kleiman, The Fruchter Collection, Brooklyn, New York.

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