Irene Lieblich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Irene Lieblich
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Lieblich at book signing
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| Born |
Irene Wechter
April 20, 1923 Zamość, Poland
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| Died | December 28, 2008 (aged 85) Miami, Florida, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Painter, artist |
| Known for | The World of Isaac Bashevis Singer, Tree of Life, Spiritual Lights over Jerusalem, A Shtetl Wedding, Grandmother...Left Alone |
| Spouse(s) | Jakob Lieblich |
| Children | 2 |
Irene Lieblich (born April 20, 1923 – died December 28, 2008) was a talented artist. She was born in Poland and survived the Holocaust. Irene is famous for drawing pictures for books by Isaac Bashevis Singer, who won a Nobel Prize. Her paintings often showed scenes from Jewish life and culture. She was also a distant relative of the well-known writer Isaac Leib Peretz.
Contents
Irene Lieblich's Early Life
Irene Wechter was born on April 20, 1923. This was the second night of Passover. Her birthplace was Zamość, Poland. Her parents were Leon and Chana Wechter. Her father worked in the medical field.
Irene had a younger brother named Nathan. Sadly, he was killed at age 13 during the Holocaust. Irene herself survived this terrible time.
Overcoming Challenges: A Survivor's Perspective
Irene Lieblich did not often talk about her experiences during the Holocaust. She chose to focus on something else. She wanted to remember the Jewish people who did not survive.
Irene said she tried to "capture them to bring back their spirit." She felt they had many stories to tell. She saw herself as both an artist and a historian.
Personal Life and Family
Irene married Jakob Lieblich in 1946. They moved from West Germany to Chicago in 1952. Their son, Nathan, came with them. Their daughter, Mahli, was born in Chicago in 1953.
Life in New York
From 1955 to 1980, the family lived in Brooklyn, New York. During this time, Irene wrote poetry. Her poems were published in Jewish newspapers. One notable paper was The Jewish Daily Forward.
Irene Lieblich's Artistic Work
In 1971, at age 48, Irene started painting. She took art classes at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Her teachers were very impressed by her natural talent.
First Steps as a Painter
Her professors encouraged her to show her art. Irene began to exhibit her paintings in New York. In 1972, just one year after starting, she won first prize. This was at the Art Festival of the Farband in New York.
Illustrating for a Nobel Prize Winner
From 1973 to 1974, her art was shown at Artists Equity in New York. There, the famous author Isaac Bashevis Singer saw her work. Singer later won the Nobel Prize. He insisted that his publishers hire Irene to illustrate his children's books.
Her illustrations appeared in books like A Tale of Three Wishes. She also illustrated The Power of Light: Eight Stories for Hanukkah. Another painting, Spiritual Lights over Jerusalem, was used on greeting cards.
Later Exhibitions and Recognition
In 1980, Irene moved to Miami Beach, Florida. She continued to draw and paint there. In 1995, her art was part of an exhibition called Living Memories. This show was held with the last big meeting of Holocaust Survivors.
Her works were also shown at the National Yiddish Library Gallery in Amherst, Massachusetts. This was in 2004, celebrating 100 years since Isaac Bashevis Singer's birth. Her painting The World of Isaac Bashevis Singer was used on a poster in Israel.
A 2009-2010 exhibition at the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion Museum in New York featured her work. Her art was even on the front cover of the exhibition catalog.
Artistic Style and Meaning
Art critic Richard McBee described one of Irene's paintings. It showed Jewish Partisans celebrating Hanukkah in a snowy forest during World War II. Some of them were keeping watch with weapons. McBee noted how the painting showed courage, faith, and the serious danger they faced. It highlighted "Jewish faith at work."
Irene Lieblich's Friendship with Isaac Bashevis Singer
Irene Lieblich greatly admired Isaac Bashevis Singer. She once said her words were "too limited to describe Mr. Singer's genius." They had a good relationship. Irene's art helped bring Singer's stories to life. Her paintings showed the spirit of his memories of shtetl life. A shtetl was a small Jewish town in Eastern Europe.
How They Met
Singer and Lieblich first met in 1973. This was at the Artists Equity gallery in New York. Irene's art was on display there.
Irene remembered seeing a man looking closely at her paintings. He said he recognized the houses in them. He was sure they showed his own shtetl. And he was right! The painting showed houses in Bilgoraj, Poland. This was the village where Singer grew up. This amazing meeting led Singer to ask Irene to illustrate his children's book, A Tale of Three Wishes.
Awards and Special Recognition
Irene Lieblich received many honors for her art.
- 1972: She won First Prize for painting at the Art Festival of the Farband in New York.
- 1973-1974: Her work was shown at Artists Equity, New York. This is where Isaac Bashevis Singer first saw her art.
- 1995: Her Living Memories exhibition was held at the Fontainebleau Hilton, Miami Beach. This was part of a big meeting of Holocaust Survivors.
- 2004: The National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Massachusetts, displayed 20 of her illustrations. This celebrated the 100th anniversary of Isaac Bashevis Singer's birth.
- 2009: Her work was featured in an exhibition at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City.
- 2010: An exhibit of her art was held at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, California.
- 2011: Her work was shown at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, Massachusetts.
