Martin Bloch (1883 Neisse, Germany – 1954 London, England)
Draperies, 1939
Oil on canvas
103.5 x 129.5 cm
Private Collection
© The Estate of Martin Bloch
Immigrated to England (via Denmark) 1934
Draperies (1938), which demonstrates the enduring legacy of German Expressionism, is also Bloch's only work to engage with his Jewish heritage. It was included with Svendborg Harbour in his first solo exhibition in London at the Lefevre Gallery in 1939. A complex study of overlapping textiles including a six-pointed Star of David motif, set against a yellow background, both at the centre of, and partly concealed within the overall design. The centrality of this symbol of Jewish origin predates the Nazi decrees which enforced compulsory wearing of the star. Interviewed by a newspaper on the event of the opening of the exhibition in February 1939 the artist is quoted as saying he saw the five yards of remaindered Manchester cotton in a shop in Kensington High street and bought them on impulse. The painting highlights the freedom of artistic expression that Bloch found in exile and helped to instil in the next generation of both British-born and younger refugee artists.
