Pogrom

Issachar ber Ryback was a leading figure of the Russian Jewish avant-garde alongside El Lissitsky, Nathan Altman, Boris Aronson and Marc Chagall. After moving to Paris in 1926, Ryback developed a profound realistic style which he applied solely to Jewish themes. 'Shtetl. Mayn Chorever Heym, a Gedekniss' (Shtetl, My Destroyed Home. A memorial, 1923), a collection of lithographs immortalising Ryback's home town which was destroyed by pogroms, is perhaps his most memorable work. He went on to produce three more albums: 'Jewish Types of the Ukraine' (1924), 'On the Jewish Fields of the Ukraine' (1926) and 'Shadows of the Past' (1932) - all of which with his inimitable style incorporating Cubism and folk art, in particular luboks. In 1962 a collection of his works formed the basis for the Ryback Museum in Bat Yam, Israel.