Boris Deutsch (1892-1978) "Jewish man from a shtetl", watercolor, ca. 1970

PLEASE READ SHIPPING DESCRIPTION CAREFULLY BEFORE BUYING! To learn more about us please click on our profile ON DEMAND WE ISSUE A CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY (money-back-guarantee) Boris Deutsch was born in Krasnogorka, Jewish shtetl in Latvia (at that time - province Kurland of the Russian Empire) on June 4th 1892. He began drawing at the age of five. When he was still a young boy, his family settled in Riga (now Latvia), where he went on to attend Bloom Academy of Art and Polytechnic School. At the age of 17 he came to Berlin, where he attended the School of Applied Arts (Kunstgewerbeschule) for a few months. Back in Riga, shortly thereafter, he was drafted into the Russian tsarist army and sent off to serve (as a private) in Kiev. Soon after the outbreak of war, his troop was ordered to move to the Caucasus. Deutsch could not whatsoever come to terms with prospect of himself- a young Jewish man from distant Latvia with poor Russian skills - being killed in this "someone else's" war, instead of becoming a professional artist, what he always dream of. Therefore, he made a spontaneous decision, which he immediately carried out. First, he forged a pass that allowed him to leave the barracks, borrowed some money from friends, and, having changed into civil clothes, took off. He proceeded to send his mother a telegram, in which he asked her to meet him in Vilna (present day Vilnius, Lithuania). Further, he took a train to Vilna without carrying any identification and constantly at risk of detention by military patrols. His mother accompanied him to Riga and hid him there for some time, until she was able to procure false papers for him. These documents allowed Deutsch transit to Harbin, China, where he spent some time, until in 1916 he traveled (via Japan) to the US and settled in Seattle. He lived there until 1920 earning his bread with commissioned art works. When his parents came to the US as well, the family moved to Los-Angeles, and the artist went on to support himself with commercial art and movie set designs. He also taught painting at the Otis Art Institute in Los-Angeles. In the early 1930s, he was associated with the Federal Project, sketching workers as they resettled onto farms. During the late 1930s he received several mural commissions from the WPA, including Hot Springs, New Mexico Post Office, Reedley, California Post Office, and 11 murals in the Los-Angeles Terminal Annex Post Office. He continued drawing, painting and printmaking for decades until he died on January 16th 1978 in Los-Angeles. Works of Boris Deutsch are housed in Carnegie Institute, National Museum of American Art, Los-Angeles County Museum of Art, Scribal Museum, Pomona College Museum of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, San-Diego Museum of Art, etc. Condition: good Creation Year: ca 1970 Measurements: UNFRAMED:23,5x32,0cm/9,3x12,6in FRAMED: 31,0x37,9cm/12,2x14,9in Object Type: Framed watercolor Style: Judaica Technique: watercolor on paper Inscription: signed: Boris Deutsch Creator Dates: 1892 Krasnogorka-1978 Los-Angeles Creator: Boris Deutsch Nationality: Russian / Jewish / Latvian / American Themes: RUSSIAN LITHUANIAN LATVIAN BALTIC AMERICAN CALIFORNIAN MODERN ART EXPRESSIONISM JEWISH SHIPPING OPTIONS: We ship priority registered regular Austrian mail within 48 hours after your purchase. Usually, shipping with regular Austrian mail takes 10-14 days (USA / Worldwide), 3-7days (Europe) and 1-2 days (Austria). Not depending on us (due to local customs, local post, etc) delivery may take longer. ***OBS: Austrian mail refunds cases of loss or damage with maximum EUR 500. PROFESSIONALLY PACKED (by Mail Boxes Etc.) and fully insured (INCLUDES INSURANCE OF FRAME) DHL service within 2-3 days is available upon request and subject to EXTRA CHARGES. When contacting the seller please refer to item #35125 samai1519