![Shalom of Safed (Shalom Moskovitz, 1887–1980) Sephardic Jews Reciting Psalms in a Synagogue [Safed, Mid-20th century]](https://dam.sothebys.com/dam/image/lot/ce85c0fe-eb2d-4502-81ce-c943e9327a3b/primary/extra_small)
![View full screen - View 1 of Lot 100. Shalom of Safed (Shalom Moskovitz, 1887–1980) Sephardic Jews Reciting Psalms in a Synagogue [Safed, Mid-20th century].](https://sothebys-md.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/036ae73/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1465x2000+0+0/resize/385x526!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsothebys-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fmedia-desk%2Fwebnative%2Fimages%2F70%2Fe1%2Fe59aa6f14de1a041d9ffa5c066fc%2Fn11907-dbrbr-t2-02.jpg)
Shalom of Safed (Shalom Moskovitz, 1887–1980) Sephardic Jews Reciting Psalms in a Synagogue [Safed, Mid-20th century]
Estimate
5,000 - 7,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
Shalom of Safed—born Shalom Moskovitz in 1887 and a lifelong resident of the storied Galilean city—stands among the most beloved naïve painters of twentieth-century Israeli art. A Hasidic Jew steeped in Safed’s rich mystical and cultural traditions, he spent decades working as a watchmaker, silversmith, and stonemason before turning to painting only in his mid-fifties. Despite his late start, Shalom quickly achieved international recognition for a body of work devoted to the narratives, rituals, and daily rhythms of Jewish life.
Rendered in his signature “primitive” style, his compositions blend vivid blocks of color, flattened space, and text drawn directly from scripture, creating images that read almost like illuminated chronicles.
This charming depiction of Sephardic Jews reciting Psalms in a Safed synagogue reflects the artist’s profound engagement with both his community and its traditions. Set against the luminous light of the Galilee and shaped by the mystical heritage of Safed, the painting embodies the warmth, devotion, and narrative clarity that define Shalom’s oeuvre.
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