A portrait of a Jew

A figure of an old Jew from Kazimierz. The whole-figure representation is a stylistic reference to the New Objectivity movement, which emerged in Europe in the 1920s. The artist rendered each and every detail of the face and hands, arranged in an expressive gesture, with great precision. Cybis portrayed a specific person from the Kazimierz community, a large portion of which included residents of the Jewish faith. Painters arriving in Kazimierz would come across them already during their journey from Puławy to Kazimierz — they would recommend accommodation and were a part of the city’s natural landscape. Cybis set this character in Kazimierz by painting the outline of the town’s buildings at his feet.