1950s Yonia Fain Painting

This painting is an example of the expressive, historically-focused work of Yonia Fain (1913–2013), an internationally acclaimed artist, Yiddish poet, and educator. Born in Ukraine, his family fled the Russian Revolution for Poland, and he later escaped the Nazi invasion on foot. He spent the remainder of World War II in the Japanese-controlled Shanghai Ghetto before moving to Mexico, where he became a protégé of muralist Diego Rivera. In 1953, he immigrated to New York City and eventually became a Professor Emeritus of Art History at Hofstra University. Fain described himself as a "painter of history," focusing on the human condition and the trauma he witnessed. His work has often been described as "Refugee Modernism," reflecting themes of displacement, grief, and the search for home.

Style: Abstract Expressionis

Period: c. 1959

Materials: Canvas and wooden frame

Condition: In good display condition, canvas is frayed at corners.