IRA MOSKOWITZ
1912 -2001
Ira Moskowitz immigrated to the United States from Poland with his parents in 1927. Although his family would have preferred him to take up religious studies and become a rabbi like his forebearers, Moskowitz instead developed his visual talent when he took advantage of a scholarship given by the Art Students League in New York City.
At age 27, he traveled to Mexico, staying there six months drawing, painting, and absorbing the culture.
He also traveled in the years before WWII to Paris and to Palestine. He came back to New York to marry a fellow artist. In 1943, he applied for and received a Guggenheim Fellowship giving him one year of supporting funds to move to New Mexico and concentrate on creative work.
He loved New Mexico and stayed for seven years. During this time, he became part of a society of close – knit Taos and Santa Fe artists. New York artist John Sloan, who spent four months each year in Santa Fe beginning in 1930, became a great friend of Ira Moskowitz. Sloan admired Moskowitz’s work and wrote glowing comments about it.
The lithograph here was done during his New Mexico period. Ira Moskowitz eventually moved back to New York and also spent time in Paris. He produced two books. He coauthored, Great Drawings of All Time. He also wrote the text and compiled his lithographs for Patterns and Ceremonials of the Indians of the Southwest.
His work is in many museum collections including: Houston Museum of Fine Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Gallery, Museum of Modern Art, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, and the Biblioteque Nationale in Paris.
“A Day at the Trading Post”
Lithograph 1946
11 ¾” x 15 5/8”
Signed in pencil in lower right margin
$975.00 without matt and unframed