Often compared to Cezanne, Iosif Iser was one of the most important and respected Romanian artists, of Jewish origin, influential and later imitated by many of the artists from younger generations and well known not only in his country, but also in France or Germany. He was a painter, draftsman, graphic artists and became popular both as a painter and as a satirical author, as many of his drawings were published in the interwar and Communist newspapers and magazines.
Born in Bucharest, on May 21st 1881, he began studying art in Munich, returning to Romania in 1905. After a brief period of working and experimenting, Iser settled in Paris, the art capital of Europe, where he became a close member of the avantgarde movement in Montmartre, at the same time being enrolled at the Ranson Academy. Close to some important names, such as Brancusi or Derian, he perfected his personal style and choice of subjects, the greatest influence on him being Cezanne, an artist that he respected and cherished. He returned to Bucharest, opening his first solo exhibition in 1907, with some success. He fought in World War One, but continued working even in the trenches, drawing what he saw around him. His style gained some figurative and even geometricla elements, as Iser seemed to be more and more interested by the faces and individualities.
He finally left Romanian for a long time in 1921 and returned to Paris, where he would stay until 1934. He worked, exhibited, met the avantgarde masters, discovered the publications, styles, manner and groups of the interwar period. So upon his return to his country was already a mature artist, with a sure hand, original style and often a nostalgia overmixed with a poignant humour. Besides his paintings and sketches, many representing arlequins and balerinas, he started publishing satirical drawings in the leftist and socialist press, such as Adevarul or Facla, highly popular and influential. Iser didn't have much mercy for the politicians, public figures or customs of his time, and in the troubled and complicated political world of interwar Romania he found a great source of inspiration. He attacked everybody, with a humous that was great and well put into page, but also made him many enemies. A leftist sympathiser himself, he was of the attacked by his subjects, yet kept on drawing and publishing, at the same time keeping on making his paintings.
His range of subjects grew much larger now, gaining an Oriental influence, and he often chose his subjects from the fascinating universe of Dobrogea. He travelled to Spain and the Orient and his colour pallete enriched, with exotic elements and themes. By the end of World War Two he was already a respected artist, highly influential, and continued his collaboration in the press, this time for several Communist newspapers and magazines, in the style that was popular. Yet, despite this compromise, his "workmen" creations were still of the highest quality, impressive and well done. In 1955 he was elected a member of the Romanian Academy.
The artist passed away in 1958, in Bucharest. Today he is still considered one of the most important Romanian Jewish artists ever, due to his original style, choice of subjects and talent.
May 2008
