MORDECAI ARDON | Jou-Jou in Quarantine

Michael Ardon, Jerusalem, probably 1960
Marlborough Fine Art, London, probably 1962
Gordon Galleries, Tel Aviv
Michael Firon, Esq., Tel Aviv, before 1973
Thence by descent to the present owners

Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum; Munich, Stadtische Galerie; Recklinghausen, Kunsthalle, Ardon, 1960-61, no. 35
London, Marlborough Fine Art, Ardon, February - March 1962, no. 21, illustrated in the exhibition catalog p. 12
London, Marlborough Fine Art, Mordecai Ardon (1896-1992): In Memoriam, 1995, p. 36, no. 7, illustrated in the exhibition catalog p. 13
Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Mordecai Ardon: Time, Space and Metaphysics, February - June 2003, no. 30
Tel Aviv, Rubin Museum, The Firon Collection: Collecting Art in Israel, June - September 2017

Michele Vishny, Mordecai Ardon, New York, 1973, no. 142, p. 228, pl. 102, illustrated  
Arturo Schwarz, Mordecai Ardon: The Colors of Time, Jerusalem, 2003, p. 79, no. 37, p. 108, illustrated

In good condition. There are secured, repaired cracks throughout the surface of the paint. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals scattered areas of loss and inpainting, primarily along the top and bottom edge of the canvas, with a few scattered spots throughout. Not relined.
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 Ardon's 1960 intimate masterpiece combines joy and pain, life and death, themes that often meet in his work. A brightly colored toy ship anchored in a deep blue sea at first appears to be a child's carefree game. His four year old granddaughter's name, Nili, is painted on the boat, a theme he repeated from his 1957 painting, Venice, in which Nili's name appears on a sail. However, as suggested by the title, and the yellow flag on shore, the ship is held off shore, quarantined. The metaphor can represent life's solitude, or as Arturo Schwarz suggested "the fate of the wandering Jew - always searching for a friendly shore" (Schwarz, p. 64). "...the picture's cheerfulness is tempered by an underlying pathos. The world of childhood becomes an allegory of the loneliness of the voyage of life" (Vishny, p.35). The year this was painted, Ardon used the metaphor on another occasion, in a letter to his beloved, the Yiddish poetess Rikuda Potash, who was traveling abroad to see her daughter in Philadelphia. He described this unhappy period of separation as a "quarantine", perhaps yet another motivation for this deeply personal painting (Schwarz, p. 64). The Firon Collection is one of the finest examples of a collection dedicated to Israeli Art built in the early decades of the state of Israel.

Michael (Mike) Firon acquired his first works of art in the early 1950s and became one of Israel’s best known collectors for the next 30 years. A man of highly refined taste, Firon collected masterpieces from over fifty Israeli and Ecole de Paris artists from the best periods of their creation.  

Among his first acquisitions, were two works by a then relatively unknown Yosl Bergner. The artist visited Firon’s home shortly after, to see who had acquired what he often referred to as his “children”, thus beginning a close friendship that lasted until the collector’s death in 2008. The Firon collection includes highlights that span the artist’s career, including the masterpiece triptych Kushan (The Deed).

Born in Tel Aviv in 1923, Firon fought in Israel’s War of Independence as a member of the Palmach. He was a tier-one lawyer, heading the Firon Law Firm for over 50 years. Renowned for his sharp wit and uncompromising professionalism, he served as Legal Counsel to the Israeli Labor party, was deeply involved in developing Israeli industry, and served as Chairman of the Board of the Israeli Aviation Industries. A highly educated intellectual and an avid art lover, Firon was generous in sharing his unique capabilities with others, and his passions are reflected in his important collection of Israeli Art.