Yitzhak Frenkel

Odessa

Yitzhak Frenkel was born in Odessa, Russian Empire to a Jewish family. He was a great-grandson of Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev. In his youth he studied in a yeshiva where he met Chaim Glicksberg. As a child he lived right next to Bialik's and Rawnitzki's publishing house "Moriah". In 1917, he studied under Aleksandra Ekster, an influential constructivist, cubist and futurist teacher and painter at the Fine Arts Academy in Odessa, one of the leading art schools in the Tsarist Russia. His early years in Odessa were characterized by famine, pogroms, war and factional fighting in the Russian Empire, prompting him to explore Utopian themes, the classics and deepen his studies in the Bible, Talmud and Gemara. These themes were incorporated in his future art.

Early influence on his Art

Frenkel was also influenced by the paintings of the abstract musicalists shown in Odessa in 1917. Their symphonies of blue along with the musical nature of their colourful art were heavily present in Frenkel's later works. They took hold in Frenkel's attempts to express his deep feelings in his encounter with mystical Safed, their influence expresses itself in the painter's wandering blue strokes. The avant-garde art of Odessa and Russian in general would also manifest itself in some of Frenkel's works his thought and his early cubist and abstract art.

Frenkel immigrated to Mandate Palestine in 1919 with the first wave of settlers of the Third Aliyah, on board the SS. Ruslan.

Historical Recording, Venice Biennale

In 1948, Frenkel painted the first meeting of the Knesset as well as the first meeting of the military committee of the IDF. Which was probably intended as a sketch in preparation of a larger painting. He also made portraits of the first 120 MKs (Members of the Knesset), only few were finished or carried out in oil such as Uri Zvi Greenberg's portrait. Whilst Frenkel was commissioned to create a monumental work (8x6 meters), which would have portrayed 150 people including the entire First Knesset, Israel's President and Prime Minister, diplomats, journalists and other dignitaries. he met severe difficulties and challenges and was offered little government assistance. Following the minister of Education, David Remez's death and the swearing in of the Second Kneeset. The new education minister halted the support to Frenkel's work. Thus the court ordered the removal of Frenkel's work from the space allocated to it, forcing him to abandon the project.

He was the first painter chosen by the State of Israel to represent the Jewish State at the Venice Bienniale. In 1950 he exhibited 7 artworks in the 25th Bienniale of Venice, representing Israel. He represented Israel once again in 1952 in the 26th Biennale. In Venice he received especially positive acclaim by Italian and Spanish art critics and positive attention by others. In 1952 he exhibited again in Paris.

He was recognized as artist of the year by HaOlam HaZeh for 1949 and by Yedioth Ahronot for the year 1953 (תשי"ג).