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Lot Essay
Simon is best known for his depictions of the Kibbutz life in Israel (see lot 50). While he concentrated on painting the happy and soft features of children, their care-takers and parents on the Sabbath, Simon also portrayed strong male types. When he joined the Haganah, Simon began to portray male and female soldiers, the men wear balaclavas and carry guns, and the women wear kafias on their heads. The focus of these paintings is not on the war anxiety but the intensity, seriousness and commitment of the subjects.
In the 2001 Simon retrospective exhibition at the Tel Aviv Museum, curator Tali Tamir described the present lot: "During the same year [1948] he painted a double portrait of soldiers depicted with strong black contours, reminiscent of the work of Georges Rouault. These masculine types embody the sense of soldiersness. Their facial features are serious and strong, they are dressed in khaki fatigues, one is wearing a balaclava, and the other carries a strap of gun bullets on his shoulder, their necks are thick and heavily shadowed". (T. Tamir, Simon: Dual Portrait, Tel Aviv, 2001, p. 134).
In the 2001 Simon retrospective exhibition at the Tel Aviv Museum, curator Tali Tamir described the present lot: "During the same year [1948] he painted a double portrait of soldiers depicted with strong black contours, reminiscent of the work of Georges Rouault. These masculine types embody the sense of soldiersness. Their facial features are serious and strong, they are dressed in khaki fatigues, one is wearing a balaclava, and the other carries a strap of gun bullets on his shoulder, their necks are thick and heavily shadowed". (T. Tamir, Simon: Dual Portrait, Tel Aviv, 2001, p. 134).