Oil on board. Signed top right.

An interesting scene. Bender’s Tallis Maker depicts a religious gentleman absorbed in a seldom represented persuit. The gentle expresion of his eyes, the way that he has carefully piled books to hold his prayer shawl in place and his demeanor as he is bent intently over his work suggest that for this man, the mundane task is a labour of love. Stanislaw Bender was born in Lodz, Poland in 1882. He studied art at the Academie Julien for four years and afterwards, in Munich under Helm and Heretrich. He returned to Lodz in 1906, painting a variety of Jewish themes. This composition is one of his most popular and was reproduced on postcards in the 1920’s and 30’s. It is included in Bender’s Portfolio: A Collection of Paintings, Frankfurt a/Main, 1920