Drawing of Rabbis Studying Torah‭, ‬by Joseph Budko

Drawing of Rabbis studying Torah, by Joseph Budko. Printed on Japanese paper. 40 x 46 cm.

This is a famous drawing by Budko, illustrating a scene of a group of Jewish men studying by candlelight. It is signed by the artist in pencil in Hebrew and English.

Budko (1888–1940) was born in Plonsk, in Poland and received a traditional Jewish education. In 1902 he went to study at the art school in Vilna. In 1910 Budko moved to Berlin where he learned metal-chasing and also studied at the Museum of Fine Arts. In Berlin, Budko met Hermann Struck who taught him the technique of etching. Eventually he also took up wood carving, lithography, and painting. In 1933, Budko settled in Palestine. In 1935, he became the director of the reopened Bezalel Academy of Art and Design.