MAREK SHVARTS

MAREK SHVARTS (May 9, 1892-1962)

            He was a sculptor and painter, born with the given name Mortkhe in Zgerzh (Zgierz), Poland.  He studied Jewish subjects at home, while at the same time completing a six-level high school.  He entered a craftsmen’s school in Lodz, later leaving for Paris where he studied in the art academy and was subsequently recognized for his work in sculpture and painting.  In France he converted and distanced himself from Jewish artwork.  With Yitskhok Likhtenshteyn and others, he published the art journal Maḥmadim (Delights) in Paris (ca. 1912).  He wrote articles on art and literature for Avrom Reyzen’s Nayer zhurnal (New journal) in Paris (1913); and in Lodz for Folksblat (People’s newspaper), Lodzer tageblat (Lodz daily newspaper), S’feld (The field), Kibetser (Kibbutzer) (1916-1917), and Literatur (Literature); as well as Literarishe bleter (Literary leaves) in Warsaw; Parizer bleter (Parisian leaves); and others.  He helped bring out the periodical Yung-idish (Young Jewish) in Lodz (1919).  He authored the monography Amadeo modiglyani (Amedeo Modigliani) (Paris: Le Triangle, 1927), 16 pp., with 15 pp. of reproductions.  He also composed poetry in Polish.  His brother, SHMUEL SHVARTS, a mountain engineer, published a series of articles entitled “Tsvishn di maranen in portugal” (Among the Marranos of Portugal) in Lodzer tageblat and in Warsaw’s Haynt (Today).

Sources: Zalmen Reyzen, Leksikon, vol. 4; Khayim Leyb Fuks, Lodzh shel mayle, dos yidishe gaystiḳe un derhoybene lodzh, 100 yor yidishe un oykh hebreishe literatur un kultur in lodzh un in di arumiḳe shtet un shtetlekh (Lodz on high, the Jewish spiritual and elevated Lodz, 100 years of Yiddish and also Hebrew literature and culture in Lodz and in the surrounding cities and towns) (Tel Aviv: Perets Publ., 1972), see index.

Berl Cohen