Sovereignty; Late 1940s; Oil on Canvas, 64×81 cm

Israel Paldi

Israel Paldi was born in Berdyansk, Ukraine. In 1900 he moved to Switzerland with his family, and in 1909 they immigrated to Palestine. Two years later, he returned to Europe in order to study at the Munich Academy of Art, in Germany.

In 1927 Paldi was the set designer of the play “Fishermen” by Herman Hermans, which was shown at the “Ohel Theatre” in Tel Aviv. In 1929 he was a member of “Mesed” – an art collective that aspired to exhibit Modernist artworks.

In 1957 his son, Ramon Paldi, died in battle. Between 1958-1960 Paldi stayed in Paris, where he continued to study painting and exhibit his works. Throughout his artistic career he exhibited his works in various museums in Israel and worldwide. He passed away in 1979 in Tel Aviv. Three years after his death, one of his works titled “Pastoralia” was turned into a national stamp.