Beloosesky Gallery is interested in purchasing original paintings by Jean David.
Please call (917) 749-4557 or email us at info@beloosesky.com
Jean David was born in Bucharest Romania in 1908. He was a painter and designer, known for his contributions to the Romanian avant-garde and to the early modernist art of Israel (then recently founded). He studied between 1927 and 1937 at various art academies in Paris. In 1929 he participated for the first time at a collective exhibition in Bucharest and in 1933 he had his first solo exhibition (in the same city).
In the early '30s he was a member of the Surrealist group "unu" (meaning "one"). In 1942, he left Romania in a boat with 12 other Jews, including Theodor Brauner, the brother of Victor Brauner. After being captured by British authorities in Cyprus, he managed to reach Palestrina in 1944. Following his release in 1944 he was drafted into the British Brigade, where he served as a painter until 1946. When the War of Independence broke out in Israel, he was drafted into the Israeli Navy. In 1949 he went to live in Jerusalem, where he was active in developing ceramic arts, works in copper, and artistic wall hangings under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. In 1950, together with Marcel Janco, he founded in Israel the artist village known as Ein Hod. He also gained much reputation as a muralist and especially designer, having designed numerous posters and other works for the El Al air company.
David’s primary importance was in the design of posters. He used a wildly colorful decorative style in his art, which combined illustration, caricature, and national figures. In addition he designed wall hangings for “Maskit,” and also worked in the decoration of public buildings. His paintings were surrealistic in character and included images from nature and landscapes.
Education
1927 Architectural studies, Paris, France
1927 Painting, École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts de Paris, Paris, France
1930 Painting, Academie de la Grande Chaumiere, Paris, France
Académie Scandinave, Paris, France
Nouvelle Academie Libre, Paris, France
Awards and Prizes
1954 Gold and silver medal, Triennial for Applied Art, Milan, Italy
1960 Dizengoff Prize for Painting and Sculpture, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Municipality of Tel Aviv-Jaffa
1960 Two silver medals, poster exhibition, Tokyo, Japan​