Family Artwork Links Generations and Inspires Contemporary Portrait
A 19th-century mizrah created by Israel Dov Rosenbaum has been connected to contemporary artist Kehinde Wiley's work, revealing a multi-generational family narrative. Rosenbaum's papercut, made in 1877 in Podkamien, was given to his daughter Bessie and later acquired by The Jewish Museum in New York. In 2011, Wiley incorporated the mizrah's design into his painting 'Alios Itzhak' for his series 'The World Stage: Israel,' exhibited at the museum in 2012 and 2018. The discovery was made by Rosenbaum's descendant Amy Shimshon-Santo, who met Wiley at a Los Angeles gallery opening in 2022, highlighting themes of heritage, diaspora, and artistic legacy in contemporary art.
Key facts
- Israel Dov Rosenbaum created a mizrah in 1877, a Jewish papercut artwork.
- Kehinde Wiley used the mizrah's iconography in his 2011 painting 'Alios Itzhak'.
- The works were exhibited together at The Jewish Museum in New York in 2012 and 2018.
- Amy Shimshon-Santo, Rosenbaum's great-great-granddaughter, documented the family connection.
- The story spans six generations, involving Ashkenazi, Black, and Latinx heritage.
Entities
Artists
- Israel Dov Rosenbaum
- Kehinde Wiley
Institutions
- The Jewish Museum, NY
Locations
- Podkamien
- New York
- Los Angeles
- Jerusalem