120:, particularly in the United Kingdom. He was part of a generation of central and eastern European Jewish refugee artists who emigrated to escape Nazi persecution. He saw himself as part of a tradition of European figurative artists who painted working people, a tradition that included Courbet, Millet and Van Gogh, Kathe Kollwitz and the Flemish Expressionist Constant Permeke. For eleven years he lived in
219:, beginning in 1944. For the first four years he stayed in rooms at the Pen-y-bont Inn. He became part of the community, where he was fondly nicknamed "Joe Bach" (Little Joe). Herman is quoted as saying: "I stayed here because I found ALL I required. I arrived a stranger for a fortnight. The fortnight became eleven years."
252:
In 1955 Herman Herman met Nini
Ettlinger, whom he married in 1961. They had three children: David (born 1957), Sara (1962-6) and Rebekah (born 1967). In 1962 the family moved to Little Cornard, near Sudbury, Suffolk. In 1971 the family moved briefly to Hundon also in West Suffolk. From 1972 Herman
144:
family, on 3 January 1911. His father, David, was an illiterate shoemaker, his mother was called Sarah Malkah Herman. He was the eldest of three children. His brother was called Shmiel, his sister was called Zelda. Josef grew up speaking
Yiddish and he was profoundly influenced by Yiddish culture.
210:
Herman is best known for his paintings of working people, including peasants, fishermen and, most notably, coal miners. The latter became a particular interest for Herman during the eleven years that he lived in
230:(1951) showed six men resting above ground after their work. Herman said, "I think it is one of my key pictures and the most important one I did in Wales." The mural is held in the permanent collection of the
273:
2004, the Josef Herman
Foundation was established in Ystradgynlais, to honour the artist and his legacy, and encourage study of his work, as well as arts initiatives in South Wales.
284:. The play included a contemporary folk-influenced score by Swansea musician and composer Andy Jones, and it was performed by the Antic Theatre. They first performed at
193:
189:
606:
783:
714:
in London has an extensive collection of Herman's paintings and drawings. Many are not on permanent display, but they may be seen on line at:
589:
763:
544:
207:. Herman's own style was bold and distinctive, involving strong shapes with minimal detail. He continued to work until the late 1990s.
108:
31:
773:
242:
631:
728:
340:
2014–15 Refiguring the 50s: Joan
Eardley, Sheila Fell, Eva Frankfurter, Josef Herman and L.S. Lowry, Ben Uri Gallery, London
456:
200:. While in Scotland he drew and painted scenes of Jewish life from Poland which only became more widely known in the 1980s.
722:
768:
715:
180:. Between 1940 and 1943 he contributed to a remarkable wartime artistic renaissance in the city. Herman learned through the
241:
Leaving Wales in 1955 because his health was affected by the damp climate, Herman returned to London. He was awarded the
793:
758:
647:
788:
246:
562:
778:
690:
349:
1994 Related
Twilights, Fifty years of Drawing and Painting (1944 β 94), Angela Flowers Gallery, London
161:. He was introduced to many of the prominent artists then working in the city. After the beginning of
116:(3 January 1911 – 19 February 2000), was a highly regarded Polish-British painter who influenced
141:
355:
1989 Recent works 1984β89 and Homage to the Women of
Greenham Common, Angela Flowers Gallery, London
753:
700:
231:
149:, where he trained as a typesetter and graphic designer and then for two years worked briefly as a
72:
586:
281:
154:
675:
Refiguring the 50s : Joan
Eardley, Sheila Fell, Eva Frankfurther, Josef Herman, L S Lowry
261:
165:
and the German invasion of
Belgium, he escaped to France and then in 1940 to Great Britain.
748:
743:
8:
223:
531:
511:
427:
402:
95:
112:
35:
117:
593:
235:
176:
who became a lifelong friend and he was reunited with the Polish-Jewish artist
150:
737:
212:
185:
121:
367:
1956 2nd retrospective exhibition, Whitechapel Art
Gallery, London Drawings,
711:
490:
177:
173:
162:
280:, about Josef Herman and his years in Ystradgynlais, was produced by the
216:
204:
125:
686:
Herman's work is held in many major public and private art collections.
666:
Roese, Herbert E. (2007), Josef Herman's influence on other painters,
146:
203:
In 1943 he moved to London and held his first London exhibition with
197:
181:
288:, then took the play on a tour of South Wales during April/May 2010.
158:
84:
607:"Ystradgynlais Town Centre Masterplan Final Report September 2010"
253:
lived in the house in West London where he died in
February 2000.
285:
169:
352:
1989 Retrospective Exhibition, National Museum of Wales, Cardiff
694:
461:
137:
54:
50:
343:
2009 Josef Herman: The Art & Life, Flowers Central, London
457:"Josef Herman: the Polish painter who found himself in Wales"
370:
1955 1st retrospective exhibition, Wakefield City Art Gallery
358:
1980 4th retrospective exhibition, Camden Arts Centre, London
632:"Archbishop of Canterbury to present Eisteddfod art award"
376:
1949 Ben Uri Gallery, London, exhibition with Martin Bloch
491:"Josef Herman (1911β2000) β Ben Uri Gallery & Museum"
257:
379:
1943 1st solo exhibition in London, Reid Gallery, London
373:
1954 Geffrye Museum, London, exhibition with Henry Moore
704:
612:. powys.moderngov.co.uk. September 2010. p. 19
260:for services to British Art and was elected to the
222:When commissioned in 1951 to paint a mural for the
654:, National Theatre Wales, accessed 13 October 2010
403:"BBC β Wales β Arts β Josef Herman β Josef Herman"
226:, Herman painted a group of coal miners. His work
735:
596:, Swansea Heritage.net, accessed 13 October 2010
382:1943 Lefevre, London, exhibition with L.S. Lowry
328:Related Twilights: Notes from an Artist's Diary.
729:Josef Herman (1911-2000) at boundarygallery.com
563:"'Pen-y-Bont Inn', Ystradgynlais | Art UK"
545:"Pen-y-Bont Inn, Ystradgynlais by Josef Herman"
364:1957 Recent works, Roland, Browse and Delbanco.
346:2000 The Work is the Life, Flowers East, London
192:and he had his first exhibition in Scotland at
454:
184:that his entire family had perished in the
361:1975 3rd retrospective exhibition, Glasgow
582:
580:
578:
576:
512:"Josef Herman β Josef Herman Foundation"
485:
483:
481:
479:
153:. In 1938 at the age of 27, Herman left
450:
448:
334:
784:Polish emigrants to the United Kingdom
736:
573:
136:Herman was born Mosek Josek Herman in
476:
267:
721:A smaller collection is held by the
691:64 artworks by or after Josef Herman
445:
764:Welsh Eisteddfod Gold Medal winners
670:Vol.VI No.1&2, pp. 138β145
504:
307:Josef Herman: The work is the Life.
13:
660:
395:
14:
805:
681:
638:(blog), accessed 20 January 2015.
630:Laura Chamberlain (26 July 2011)
300:The Art and Life of Josef Herman.
774:20th-century Polish male artists
641:
624:
599:
455:Maggie Gray (2 February 2018).
323:Free Association Books, London.
292:
555:
537:
525:
420:
314:Josef Hermann: A Working Life.
256:In 1981 Herman was awarded an
168:In Britain, he first lived in
1:
587:"Miners, 1951 - Josef Herman"
389:
385:1932 1st exhibition in Warsaw
188:. In 1942 he met and married
769:20th-century Polish painters
677:, Ben Uri Gallery and Museum
276:2010, Michael Waters' play,
247:National Eisteddfod of Wales
172:, where he met the sculptor
131:
7:
701:14 artworks by Josef Herman
673:MacDougall, Sarah, (2014),
96:Josef Herman Art Foundation
10:
810:
145:From 1930 he attended the
794:People from Ystradgynlais
648:"The Secret of Belonging"
90:
80:
61:
43:
23:
16:Polish artist (1911β2000)
759:20th-century Polish Jews
723:National Museum of Wales
428:"Josef Herman 1911β2000"
321:Note From A Welsh Diary.
232:Glynn Vivian Art Gallery
215:, a mining community in
124:, a mining community in
302:Lund Humphries, Surrey.
298:Bohm-Duchen, M. (2009)
278:The Secret of Belonging
243:Gold Medal for Fine Art
316:Quartet Books, London.
282:National Theatre Wales
234:, affiliated with the
262:Royal Academy of Arts
194:Aitken Dott & Son
789:Polish male painters
534:, Welsh Arts Archive
335:Selected exhibitions
147:Warsaw School of Art
668:David Jones Journal
305:Heller, R. (1998)
224:Festival of Britain
779:Royal Academicians
592:2011-09-27 at the
326:Herman, J. (1975)
319:Herman, J. (1988)
312:Herman, N. (1996)
268:Legacy and honours
309:Momentum, London.
190:Catriona MacLeod
102:
101:
801:
716:The Tate Gallery
655:
645:
639:
628:
622:
621:
619:
617:
611:
603:
597:
584:
571:
570:
559:
553:
552:
541:
535:
529:
523:
522:
520:
518:
508:
502:
501:
499:
497:
487:
474:
473:
471:
469:
452:
443:
442:
440:
438:
424:
418:
417:
415:
413:
399:
118:contemporary art
115:
98:
68:
65:19 February 2000
38:
21:
20:
809:
808:
804:
803:
802:
800:
799:
798:
754:Jewish painters
734:
733:
684:
663:
661:Further reading
658:
646:
642:
629:
625:
615:
613:
609:
605:
604:
600:
594:Wayback Machine
585:
574:
561:
560:
556:
543:
542:
538:
530:
526:
516:
514:
510:
509:
505:
495:
493:
489:
488:
477:
467:
465:
453:
446:
436:
434:
426:
425:
421:
411:
409:
401:
400:
396:
392:
337:
330:Robson, London.
295:
270:
134:
107:
94:
76:
70:
66:
57:
48:
39:
30:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
807:
797:
796:
791:
786:
781:
776:
771:
766:
761:
756:
751:
746:
732:
731:
726:
719:
708:
698:
683:
682:External links
680:
679:
678:
671:
662:
659:
657:
656:
640:
623:
598:
572:
554:
536:
532:Sonia Williams
524:
503:
475:
444:
419:
393:
391:
388:
387:
386:
383:
380:
377:
374:
371:
368:
365:
362:
359:
356:
353:
350:
347:
344:
341:
336:
333:
332:
331:
324:
317:
310:
303:
294:
291:
290:
289:
274:
269:
266:
236:Swansea Museum
151:graphic artist
133:
130:
100:
99:
92:
88:
87:
82:
81:Known for
78:
77:
71:
69:(aged 89)
63:
59:
58:
49:
47:3 January 1911
45:
41:
40:
29:
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
806:
795:
792:
790:
787:
785:
782:
780:
777:
775:
772:
770:
767:
765:
762:
760:
757:
755:
752:
750:
747:
745:
742:
741:
739:
730:
727:
724:
720:
717:
713:
709:
706:
702:
699:
696:
692:
689:
688:
687:
676:
672:
669:
665:
664:
653:
649:
644:
637:
633:
627:
608:
602:
595:
591:
588:
583:
581:
579:
577:
568:
564:
558:
550:
546:
540:
533:
528:
513:
507:
492:
486:
484:
482:
480:
464:
463:
458:
451:
449:
433:
429:
423:
408:
407:www.bbc.co.uk
404:
398:
394:
384:
381:
378:
375:
372:
369:
366:
363:
360:
357:
354:
351:
348:
345:
342:
339:
338:
329:
325:
322:
318:
315:
311:
308:
304:
301:
297:
296:
287:
283:
279:
275:
272:
271:
265:
263:
259:
254:
250:
248:
244:
239:
237:
233:
229:
225:
220:
218:
214:
213:Ystradgynlais
208:
206:
201:
199:
195:
191:
187:
186:Warsaw Ghetto
183:
179:
175:
174:Benno Schotz
171:
166:
164:
160:
156:
152:
148:
143:
142:Polish-Jewish
139:
129:
127:
123:
122:Ystradgynlais
119:
114:
110:
106:
97:
93:
89:
86:
83:
79:
74:
64:
60:
56:
52:
46:
42:
37:
33:
27:
22:
19:
712:Tate Gallery
693: at the
685:
674:
667:
651:
643:
635:
626:
614:. Retrieved
601:
566:
557:
548:
539:
527:
515:. Retrieved
506:
494:. Retrieved
466:. Retrieved
460:
435:. Retrieved
431:
422:
410:. Retrieved
406:
397:
327:
320:
313:
306:
299:
293:Bibliography
277:
255:
251:
245:at the 1962
240:
227:
221:
209:
202:
178:Jankel Adler
167:
163:World War II
135:
105:Josef Herman
104:
103:
67:(2000-02-19)
26:Josef Herman
25:
18:
749:2000 deaths
744:1911 births
432:Tate.org.uk
217:South Wales
205:L. S. Lowry
126:South Wales
73:West London
738:Categories
390:References
652:Community
636:BBC Wales
567:artuk.org
264:in 1990.
198:Edinburgh
182:Red Cross
132:Biography
75:, England
590:Archived
549:Art Fund
159:Brussels
85:Painting
705:Ben Uri
703:at the
517:13 June
496:13 June
412:13 June
286:Swansea
170:Glasgow
140:into a
91:Website
695:Art UK
616:15 May
468:27 May
462:Art UK
437:27 May
228:Miners
155:Poland
138:Warsaw
55:Poland
51:Warsaw
610:(PDF)
111:
34:
710:The
707:site
697:site
618:2020
519:2018
498:2018
470:2020
439:2015
414:2018
157:for
62:Died
44:Born
258:OBE
109:OBE
32:OBE
740::
650:,
634:,
575:^
565:.
547:.
478:^
459:.
447:^
430:.
405:.
249:.
238:.
196:,
128:.
113:RA
53:,
36:RA
725:.
718:.
620:.
569:.
551:.
521:.
500:.
472:.
441:.
416:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.