Wilhelm Wachtel, ON THE LAKE.

Oil, canvas, cardboard, 46 x 46 cm,
signed l.d.: Wilh. Wachtel.

Wilhelm WACHTEL (1875-1952)
Jewish-Polish painter, graphic artist, illustrator, representative of realism. He was born and lived permanently in Lviv. He studied at the School of Fine Arts in Cracow under Leon Wyczółkowski and Leopold Löffler, and then at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich under Nikolaus Gysis. He traveled frequently to Vienna, Paris and Palestine, where he settled in 1936; after the outbreak of World War II, he emigrated to the United States. He painted in oils, drew in pastels, was involved in printmaking (a portfolio of lithographs Farewell to Golus), created mainly genre scenes on Jewish themes, including a series of paintings depicting the difficult life of Jewish settlers (chalutzim) after returning from a trip to Palestine in 1922, created lyrical portraits, compositions on biblical themes, and illustrated books. He exhibited a lot, and in 1935 had a solo exhibition at Warsaw's Zachęta Gallery, where he showed nearly 50 works. He died tragically in a car accident in the United States. Most of Wachtel's works were lost during World War II.