Rudi Lesser

1902-1988 “He was a real human being (a Mensch)” who “stands uniquely apart—a loner—yet extremely sociable.” -Klaus Märtens, Rudi Lesser 1902–1988. Graphik aus sieben Jahrzehnten (Exhibition catalogue). Berlin: Galerie Taube, 2012 German Jewish refugee Rudi Lesser was...

Arthur Szyk

1894-1951 “The origin of all art is what we call propaganda. … I do not say that art is my aim; art is my means.” -Arthur Szyk, cited in Mary Bragiotti, “Szyk Makes the Axis Writhe,” New York Post Weekly Picture Magazine, June 3, 1944 Prior to World War II,...

Fritz Ascher

1893-1970 “All my striving sought the light.” -[All mein Bestreben wollte das Licht] Fritz Ascher, Poems vol. 4, 167. Fritz Ascher (Berlin, 1893 –1970) was a German-Jewish artist, whose work is characterized by Expressionist and Symbolist sensitivity. In paintings,...

Anni Albers

1899-1994 “In my case it was threads that caught me, really against my will. To work with threads seemed sissy to me. I wanted something to be conquered…  but they won me over.” -Anni Albers, “Material as Metaphor,” in Anni Albers & Brenda Danilowitz, Anni Albers:...

Lily Renée

1921-Present “I loved fighting the Germans even if it was just on paper.” -Lily Renee quoted in Lily, a documentary film by Adrienne Gruben, 2019 Lily Renée arrived during the Holocaust in New York City as a teenager, and somehow found work in the male-dominated comic...

Friedel Dzubas

1915- 1994 “My father is a Jew, my mother is a Catholic, and I myself am nothing at all” -Friedel Dzubas, letter to Prince Hubertus Löwenstein, February 4, 1941 In a prolific career that spanned nearly five decades, Friedel Dzubas articulated his mature style by the...