Neemija Arbit Blatas, in the countryside

Nehemiah Arbit Blat (1908-1999)
In the Fields
4th decade of the 20th century, drb., al. 65 x 81
Sign. AD: A Blatas
Repr. in: Ilona Mažeikienė "Arbit Blatas" (2019, Vilnius: Lithuanian Art Museum): p. 307

Neemija (Nehemija) Arbit Blatas (1908-1999) was a Lithuanian-born master of modernist painting, graphics and sculpture. The artist was born in 1908 in Kaunas into a Jewish family. He began his artistic studies in. In 1926 he went to Berlin to study, and later to Paris, where he gained recognition. He belonged to the Montparnasse circle of artists. During the Second World War, he moved to the USA, where he continued his work in painting, printmaking and sculpture. He ended his life in New York in 1999. Neemia Arbit Blat's art is characterised by an expressive modernist style, bold colours and an emotive brushstroke, with a strong influence of French modernism. His works are dominated by urban scenes, portraits, theatre and music world motifs, conveyed in a lively, dynamic and sensual pictorial language. His late work, especially on the subject of the Holocaust, is distinguished by its powerful emotional impact, symbolic depth and strong humanistic message, which is why Blatas is considered to be one of the world's most important Lithuanian-born modernist masters.