Man with long face standing with his arms at his sides. He wears blue clothing. Incomplete sketch of a man on reverse.
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Details
Title: Portrait of a man in blue
Creator: Nadel, Arno
Creator Lifespan: 1878/1943
Date Created: 1878/1943
Repository: Leo Baeck Institute at the Center for Jewish History
Physical Dimensions: w73 x h95.7 cm
Artist Biography: Arno Nadel (1878â1943), born Vilna, Lithuania, a composer, arranger, conductor, writer, poet and painter. He also dedicated himself to the collection of both Eastern European folk songs and old manuscripts of Jewish liturgical music, and, in 1916, he was appointed as Kapellmeister of the Berlin Jewish community. The Prelude to the film Hebräische Melodie is one of his few works to be recorded. He was able to obtain an exit visa to England but was too weak and dispirited to make the journey after his incarceration in the concentration camp of Buchenwald. In one of his last letters before being deported to Auschwitz in 1943, he wrote: "May God protect holy Germany! It is the wisest nation of poets and philosophers, but has been misled â only after bloody detours and errors will it attain freedom of spirit and of noble art." Despite his tragic belief in Germany, Nadel could not escape his fate â he died at Auschwitz. He shared with many German artists of Jewish origin the same fate, the same passion for music, and the belief in "their country."
Rights: This material may be used for personal, research, and educational purposes only. Any other use without prior authorization is prohibited. Please contact LBI librarians at lbaeck@lbi.cjh.org for further information.