Bidspirit auction | Shmuel Ben-David (1884-1927) - 'Figures

Shmuel Ben-David (1884-1927) - 'Figures from the Royal Court' - Drawings painted in ink and watercolor on parchment paper glued to Bristol paper, unsigned, fifty-seven colored figures: kings, soldiers, ministers and other figures from the royal court, some of them described in handwriting; perhaps, preparation (outlines) for theatrical costumes. Good condition, Creases and a few stains, (source: artist's estate), Three leaves: 25X19.5; 26X19; 16X18 cm, The text for this item is taken from catalog no. 21 (item no. 235) of the ”Kedem” auction house. - Shmuel Ben-David was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1884. In 1904 he began studying art in Sofia, where he met Boris Schatz. Under his influence, he immigrated to Palestine in 1906, and joined Bezalel as a student in the advanced class and as a teacher in the carpet department. In 1912 he went to Paris, where he studied art. In 1913 he was one of the founders of the ”Rimon” group at Bezalel. During World War I, he remained in Jerusalem, thanks to his Bulgarian citizenship. At that time, he taught art in several schools in the city. When Bezalel reopened in 1916, he returned to teach there until his death in 1927. In 1920 he was One of the founders of the ”Hebrew Artists' Association”. In the years 1921-1922, he was even elected the first chairman of the association and designed its emblem. Ben-David's main work was in the field of applied art, such as enamel works and jewelry. Alongside designing models for the Bezalel Carpet Department, he created fabric applications, drawings and prints, combining the Art Nouveau style with Jewish realism. In addition, he dealt with typography and the design of Hebrew calligraphy.