Reuven Rubin

Acquired directly from the artist by the father of the previous owner
Sale: Sotheby's Tel Aviv, May 30, 1989, lot 1
Acquired from the above by the present owner

The work is in good overall condition. The canvas has been re-lined. There is a 3 cm scuff on the lower center edge in the body of the mule. Ultraviolet light reveals a few scattered areas of retouching in the sky, the body fo the mule and around the mule's eye. There is light hairline craquleure in the sky and in the white paint of the milk.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The subject of the milkman, symbolic of Jewish life in Eastern Europe and made famous by tales such as Tevye The Milkman, gave Rubin the opportunity to interpret Jewish life in the Diaspora within the setting of Eretz Israel. As such it provided the artist with a moving link between the Diaspora and Israel.

Rubin’s fascination with the subject of the ubiquitous milkman found throughout Eretz Israel is apparent in repeated portrayals of this subject. In 1920 he painted his first version of the subject distinguished by quasi-naïve symmetry and compositional balance (Sarah Wilkinson, Reuven Rubin, New York, 1974, p. 124, no. 87, illustrated). By the end of the 1920s, the artist's approach to his subject remained naive although his style became more intricate and detailed as is apparent in the work offered here.

Rubin's Milkman from 1928 is an exuberant example of the artist's enchantment with the new land. Flowers and foliage burst forth and completely surround the love-struck milkman who is distracted from his task by the alluring dark haired girl beyond the fence. The abundant flowing milk seems to symbolize the lush fertility of the land.

This work shows the transformation of the artist in the years after meeting his wife, Esther. Sarah Wilkinson discusses the importance of this period and notes: “Up to that time, the greater part of his [Rubin’s] work had consisted of figure compositions, very often with highly formal landscape pattern as part of the background... Now, travelling around the country with a loved companion who was responsive to scenery new to her, he became conscious of the natural landscape and its trees and flowers in a way he never had before… From the late twenties, his painting shows an added subtlety of color, fuller use of pigment, and livelier brushwork – hence, a greater sense of animation.” (Sarah Wilkinson, Reuven Rubin, New York, 1974, p. 57)