ARTUR (ARTHUR) KOLNIK

ARTUR (ARTHUR) KOLNIK (May 4, 1890-June 12, 1971)[1]

            He was a painter and illustrator, born in Stanisle (Stanislavov), Galicia.  He studied at the Cracow Art Academy.  In 1919 he settled in Czernowitz and entered the Jewish cultural environment there.  He acquired a reputation for his woodcuts to accompany Leyzer Shteynbarg’s “Mesholim” (Fables)—Durkh di brink (Over the bridges) (Czernowitz, 1928); Herz grosbarts retsitatsye-geshtaltn, 12 holtsshnitn (Herts Grosbart’s recital figures, twelve woodcuts) (Paris: Kinstler gemaynshaft, 1933); to Y. L. Perets’s A gilgl fun a nign, tsvantsik holtsshnitn inspirirt fun der khsidisher geshikhte fun y. l. perets (Metamorphosis of a melody, twenty woodcuts inspired by the Hassidic story of Y. L. Perets) (Paris, 1948); and twelve woodcuts for A. Sutzkever’s Gaystike erd (Spiritual terrain) (New York, 1961).  He contributed memoirs to Shloyme bikl yoyvl-bukh (Jubilee volume for Shloyme Bikl) (New York: YIVO, 1967).  He also painted images of ordinary Jewish life.  In 1967 there was published in Paris a magnificent album dedicated to him.  His illustrations may be found in many Yiddish books.  He died in Paris.

Sources: Shloyme Bikl, in Tog-morgn-zhurnal (New York) (March 8, 1969); Meylekh Ravitsh, in Keneder odler (Montreal) (August 27, 1971); Dov Sadan, Avne miftan, masot al sofre yidish (Milestones, essays on Yiddish writers), vol. 2 (Tel Aviv: Perets Publ., 1970), pp. 99-106; M. Gauthier, Arthur Kolnik (Paris, 1967).

Yekhezkl Lifshits

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[1] Translator’s note.  Many online sources give his death date as 1972. (JAF)