1894–1962
Emmanuel Mané-Katz, born Mane Leyzerovich Kats, was a Litvak painter born in Kremenchuk, Ukraine. He was best known for his depictions of the Jewish shtetl in Eastern Europe
He moved to Paris at the age of 19 to study art, although his father wanted him to be a rabbi. In Paris, he became one of the prominent artists of the “Ecole de Paris”, a group of young artists who came to Paris from Eastern and Central Europe at the beginning of the twentieth century. These artists grounded the status of Paris as the global center for the avant-garde artistic activity. Mané-Katz’s style was early on classical and somber, but his palette changed in later years to bright, primary colors, with an emphasis on Jewish themes.
Mané-Katz decided to immigrate to Israel in 1957 after he came into an agreement with the mayor of Haifa that he would bequeath his entire estate and works to the city of Haifa, while the city will provide him with a house and after his death establish a museum that would commemorate his name and work.
