Most people think of Judaica as handmade silver items like menorahs and etrog boxes. Jewish wall art is one of the best selling Judaica products and it covers every style from traditional oil paintings to abstract art, impressionism and ultra modern experimental styles.
Jewish wall art is a superb decoration for any home or workplace, and it’s also a great way to maintain a cultural connection to Israel and Judaism. We’ll explore the world of Jewish art, and take a look at some of Israel’s most exciting contemporary artists and painters.
We’ll also provide some useful tips for buying fine Jewish wall art online, and how to display original paintings and art prints to create a tasteful and stylish home decor. If you’re planning to buy Jewish artwork as a wedding gift or housewarming gift, you’ll find all the info that you need in this guide.
How to Fill a Wall with Art
There’s a lot more to fill a wall with art than buying a selection of artwork, getting the pieces framed, and knocking some nails into your wall. Most families acquire artwork over a lifetime. Each print or painting often has some special significance and is a reminder of an event, an individual, or trip abroad. Items of artwork are often just hung wherever there is a convenient spot.
When you move house, or renovate and invest in some interior design, you’ll have a chance to plan your home decor from scratch. You can reconsider your art collection and think about how to display it for maximum effect. Art is something we take pleasure in, you need to ensure that it’s arranged to create a mood. Each piece of artwork has the potential to make your home more beautiful.
5 Top Tips for Filling a Wall with Art
- Consider sizes and proportions. Does each picture fit comfortably and naturally on its wallspace?
- Be aware that when you fill a wall with art, you can change how people perceive the size of a particular room. Too many pictures can make a room appear smaller – or cluttered and cramped. If you have a small room, a careful arrangement of mirrors and art can make it feel larger.
- Artwork needs light to be truly appreciated. Do your paintings get natural light from the windows? Can you position lamps to display them properly in the evening?
- Art creates mood and ambience. You may prefer colorful, cheerful images for the kitchen and living room. You might want an item of fine Jewish art to hang overlooking the Shabat dinner table.
- If you have good quality art, it’s worth investing a little extra in the framing process. Find a professional picture framer who is also an art lover and who has naturally good taste. The right choice of frames, glass, and passepartouts or borders makes a huge difference.
Jewish Wall Art for Sale
There is a wide choice of Jewish wall art for sale online. The most popular subjects are images of Jewish cities like Jerusalem and Safed, paintings of Israeli nature scenes, Kabbalistic themes, Jewish culture, Biblical history and traditions, and depictions of modern Israeli life.
Jewish wall art for sale in online stores and in fashionable art galleries can vary in price, from thousands of dollars for original paintings, to less than $100 for a good quality art print on giclee paper or canvas. Jewish wall art also includes prints of photos, with some images of Jerusalem and Jaffa going back to the 1900s and even earlier.
One famous Israeli wall art photo is the iconic 1967 image of three Israeli paratroopers standing before the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. After more than half a century, it’s still a bestseller and is a popular choice with Jewish tourists who visit Israel. Another surprisingly popular choice is reproductions of travel posters from the 1920s and 1930s, usually showing orange groves and sunny beaches.
Best Jewish Artists
Jewish art spans several centuries and produced talented Jewish artists like Marc Chagall, Jules Pascin, Alexander Gierymski, and Maurycy Gottlieb. It would take a series of articles to list the best Jewish artists of each century – and each artistic style. The world of Jewish art contains painters, photographers, sculptors, lithographers, illustrators, avant-garde artists, as well as experimentalists who explore new materials and styles.
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There’s no real consensus about who are truly the finest Jewish artists. Auction prices and gallery prices can give an indication of who the art world and serious collectors consider to be the best Jewish artists. It’s worth bearing in mind that many top level art buyers are investors rather than art lovers, they view paintings as assets and buy them in the expectation that they will increase in value.
Some of the best contemporary Jewish artists are part of the Israeli art scene. They’re motivated by a genuine passion for their art, and the inspirational material that surrounds them. Wherever you turn in Israel, there is an abundance of cultural heritage, natural beauty, and stimulating and thought provoking images. In many ways – at least in terms of inspirational material – Israel is an artist’s paradise.
5 Best Jewish Artists
Israelis will argue all day about who are the best Jewish artists. Ultimately, it’s all a matter of personal taste. Five of the best contemporary Jewish artists who are definitely worth checking out are:
All five currently live in Israel and are part of the thriving Israeli art scene. Their best work is available to buy online at ICOJ. These 5 best Jewish artists are each leaders in their own fields, but are just a fraction of the amazing artistic talent active in Israel and Jerusalem today.
CoolArt – Ceramic Wall Art from Israel
Rachel from CoolArt is one of Israel’s leading ceramic wall art designers. She takes ancient psalms and biblical quotations and creates beautiful framed wall hangings. The texts are painted onto handmade ceramics, and decorated with iconic Israeli symbols like hand painted olive trees. Rachel paints the chosen texts in a variety of languages, including English, Hebrew and Spanish. She also uses traditional Middle Eastern designs like Hamsas as part of her original wall art. These colorful – and beautifully proportioned – ceramic wall pieces will look amazing on any wall, or standing on a mantelpiece or book shelf.
Daniella Sitbon – A Modern Interpretation of Ancient Themes
Daniella Sitbon is an exciting modern artist from Israel. She has evolved her own idiosyncratic blend of abstract, Bohemian and minimalism – and a deep appreciation of nature – to create her own distinctive style. Daniella Sitbon’s work explores traditional Jewish themes and ultra modern paintings often include Jewish texts, psalms and quotes. If you’re looking for a bold 21st century interpretation of ancient Jewish cultural traditions, you’ll find Daniella Sitbon’s original and iconoclastic work both stimulating and intriguing.
Gitty Fuchs – Modern Abstract Art with a Mystical Feel
Gitty Fuchs is one of Israel’s most interesting and talented abstract artists. As well as exploring Jewish tradition and mysticism, her paintings touch on some deep human themes and will stay with you for a long time. Gitty has a special eye for historical architecture, which she combines with a skilled use of color, to create deeply atmospheric paintings. Gitty Fuchs is already well known outside Israel and her original paintings command high prices in US and European galleries.
Jean Pierre Weill – Versatility, Creativity & Visual Delight!
Jean Pierre Weill combines modern European influences with all the vibrant stimulus and daily inspiration of life in Israel. French born Jean Pierre works out of his Jerusalem studio where he creates vividly colored 3D paintings on layers of glass. Jean Pierre is a truly versatile artist who is talented enough to explore a whole spectrum of styles. His best work ranges from comic book pop art, to natural landscapes, to charming city scenes and human portraits. Whatever your personal tastes, the chances are that you’ll find at least one of Jean Pierre Weill’s paintings truly captivating.
Yigal Natani – Innovative Modern Sculpture and Wall Art
Yigal Natani is an Israeli sculptor who loves to explore modern materials and creative techniques. His wall hangings are famous for their bright colors and cheerful, vibrant designs. Yigal is also a big hit with kids, who love his superhero and cartoon character mezuzah designs. Adults love his 3 piece hamsa and dove wall hangings. Any item of wall art by Yigal Natani will add a bright splash of color to a room, especially where there is some natural light. This is modern home decor at its very best!
Judaism Wall Art
When people talk about Judaism wall art, they’re usually referring to paintings with religious themes. Although Judaism technically prohibits figurative art, very few people strictly follow the ancient biblical prohibitions. You can buy beautiful paintings of the Wailing Wall (Western Wall or Kotel), and stunning artistic depictions of other sites in the four holy cities of Judaism: Jerusalem, Safed, Tiberias and Hebron.
Israeli artist Gitty Fuchs (mentioned above) is renowned for her atmospheric – and occasionally haunting – portrayals of mystical themes and places in Judaism. Some of the bestselling paintings feature abstract depictions of Hasidim and themes like the Kever Rachel from Jewish history and tradition. She is also admired for her abstract interpretations of Jerusalem, many of which verge on the mystical.
Common themes in Judaism wall art are Jewish and Middle Eastern symbols like the hamsa, Chai, The Star of David and the Lion of Judah. Many artists love to work with images of towers or stone walls that represent Jerusalem and the Eshet Hayil (woman of valor) is a favorite theme. Another special image, perhaps more relevant to modern Israel, is the olive tree. It’s an iconic symbol of the Israeli connection to the ancient Biblical landscape and early Jewish agriculture.
Jewish Wall Jerusalem
The Jewish wall in Jerusalem has a number of names. It’s best known in the US and the diaspora simply as the Wailing Wall. You’ll also hear it referred to in English as the Western Wall or the Kotel. Most Israelis also use the term Ha Kotel shortened from HaKotel Hama’aravi הַכּוֹתֶל הַמַּעֲרָבִי or the Western Wall. The term ‘the Jewish Wall’ isn’t incorrect, but it isn’t really used. If you asked the average Israeli for directions to the Jewish Wall, they’d probably be confused.
The Wailing Wall is actually a small surviving fragment of a retaining wall, built by Herod the Great. It was part of a Second Temple construction project that is believed to have begun in the year 19BCE. The Wailing Wall has huge significance to Jews of all traditions – and even to most secular Jews. It is a direct link to the ancient Temple, and centuries of Jewish ritual and religious observance on the Temple Mount.
The Wailing Wall or Kotel isn’t just a key place in modern Judaism, it is also a beautiful ancient site. The Western wall is built from hewn limestone blocks, weathered by 2,000 years of exposure to the Jerusalem elements. The modern term Wailing Wall derived from the Arabic term El Makba or place of weeping. The name refers to the generations of Jewish visitors who stood at the Wall, mourning and lamenting the destruction of the Temple.
There are very few historical sites in the world that are as emotive and poignant as the Wailing Wall. Not surprisingly, the Kotel has inspired hundreds of artists over the centuries. Original paintings and art prints of the Wailing Wall are bestsellers today.
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Buy Jewish Wall Art Online at ICOJ
ICOJ brings together over 20 of Israel’s best-known and most promising artists. Our 2022 collection of Jewish wall art includes original oil paintings, framed ceramics, colorful wall hangings and even polyclay superhero mezuzah cases for kid’s rooms. When you buy Jewish wall art online at ICOJ, you’re not simply buying a beautiful and exciting work of Israeli art, you’re displaying a connection to Israel and Jewish heritage within your own home.