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Maxwell Street, Chicago, from Yiddish Motifs

Woodcut print of a street scene with storefronts and awnings and a crowd of people gathered in front.

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  • Woodcut print of a street scene with storefronts and awnings and a crowd of people gathered in front.

Date:

1926

Artist:

Todros Geller
American, born Ukraine, 1889-1949

About this artwork

Geller’s Yiddish Motifs portfolio depicts scenes of Jewish identity and daily life in a series of seven woodcuts printed on Japanese wood veneer paper, an unusual paper choice, given that it was typically used for decorative purposes. Maxwell Street was a predominantly Jewish neighborhood on the city’s Near West Side, known for its large outdoor bazaar, sadly dismantled in the 1990s by development. These prints show a crowded marketplace, a vendor at work, a student in deep concentration, and a pair of street musicians. The Yiddish Motifs portfolio was a great success, with the entire edition selling out in just three weeks.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Todros Geller

Title

Maxwell Street, Chicago, from Yiddish Motifs

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1926

Medium

Woodcut in black ink on Japanese wood veneer paper, laid down on ivory laid paper with letterpress in black ink

Dimensions

Image: 27.2 × 25.3 cm (10 3/4 × 10 in.); Wood veneer paper: 30.4 × 27.3 cm (12 × 10 3/4 in.); Sheet: 43 × 32.6 cm (16 15/16 × 12 7/8 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of the Artist

Reference Number

1930.113

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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