The Life of Nachum Gutman
Nachum Gutman was a Moldovan-born Israeli painter, sculptor, and author. Born in Teleneşti, Bessarabia Governorate, in the Russian Empire, he was the son of Simcha Alter and Rivka Gutman. His father was a Hebrew writer and educator who wrote under the pen name S. Ben Zion. In 1903, his family moved to Odessa, and two years later, they relocated to Ottoman Palestine. Gutman attended the Herzliya Gymnasium in Tel Aviv starting in 1908 and studied at the Bezalel School in Jerusalem in 1912. Between 1920 and 1926, he pursued art studies in Vienna, Berlin, and Paris.
Artistic Career and Achievements
Gutman worked across many media, including oils, watercolours, gouache, and pen and ink. His artistic style ranged from figurative to abstract. As a sculptor and mosaic artist, his works are visible in public places around Tel Aviv, such as a mosaic wall at the Chief Rabbinate building and a mosaic-decorated fountain featuring scenes from the early days of Tel Aviv and biblical stories.
He was also a well-known writer and illustrator of children's books. His literary and artistic recognitions include:
- Dizengoff Prize for painting (1938 and 1956)
- Lamdan Prize for children's literature (1946)
- Sicily Award for watercolor painting at the São Paulo Biennale (1955)
- Hans Christian Andersen Literary Prize on behalf of Unesco (1962)
- Yatziv Prize (1964)
- Fichman Prize for Literature and Art (1969)
- Israel Prize for children's literature (1978)
