Second Year of the State of Israel. . שנת שתיים למדינת ישראל

Date: 1949
Place: Tel Aviv
Dimensions: 33 x 63.5 cm (13 x 25 in)
Condition Rating: VG+

Out of stock

The ultimate early Israel commemorative map, celebrating its second anniversary with Social Realist imagery.

Details

This is a remarkable map printed in Tel Aviv that celebrates the second anniversary of the creation of Israel. The map is grounded in Zionism and Social Realism, a distinctly Israeli combination evident in the splendid decorative scenes surrounding the work’s geographic portion at the center. The scenes are the work of important Israeli artist and sculptor Michael Karra. They almost jump off the page in the style of bas relief, depicting workers, farmers, families, immigrants, and soldiers; in effect, they encapsulate the fabric of this newly-formed nation.

The map portion of the work itself is a fine production, with detailed topography and road systems. Various boundaries are delineated, including the international boundaries of Palestine, the boundaries of the “Partition Plan” (Nov. 29, 1947), and armistice lines between Israel and the Arab States within Palestine.

Cartographer(s):

Joseph Szapiro & Michael Karra

Joseph Szapiro (Schapiro) was a publisher active in Israel from the mid-20th century.

Michael Karra, an Israeli born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, 1885-1965 Michael Karra was born in Brzezany, eastern Galicia (now Ukraine) in 1885. In 1902 the family moved to Budapest, where Karra studied at the Royal Academy of Art in Budapest. After graduating with honors, he received a scholarship from the Hungarian government in 1912 for further training at the Art Academy of Florence. Between 1919-1912 of Budapest, where he served as a professor.

During the First World War he created marble and bronze sculptures at the request of the government. At that time Karra was active in Hungarian political life and even took part in the Communist revolution of Bela Kun. In March 1919, after the conquest of Budapest by Romania, he fled to Romania and found refuge there. Between 1928-1922 he served as the court artist of the Romanian royal family. In 1928, he was invited to Yugoslavia to Serbia (where he sat until 1936) and created many works by public invitations, including large sculptures and frescoes for the city’s railway station, and he lived in Novi Sad, Yugoslavia in 1936-1928. Italy, where he dealt with painting during the Second World War, and joined the partisan forces in northern Italy in 1942. In 1946 he emigrated to Palestine and settled in Jaffa. Karra’s main work was sculpture and sculpture. In Israel, he created a number of monuments to fallen soldiers of the War of Independence. Among others, the monument to the occupiers of Jaffa, monuments in Nesher, Holon and more.

Condition Description

Good condition: wear along fold lines and some discoloration visible on verso.

References