“It Is Written Up Above.”

LIEBERMAN, HARRY.

New York, 1972

Acrylic on canvas. Signed by the artist lower left. Verso with narrative of the painting in English and Yiddish. Framed.

Polish-born Harry Lieberman’s career as a most original artist blossomed just as soon as he first picked up a paint-brush, aged 80, while resident in a senior retirement center. Implementing a fanciful, primitive technique of two-dimensional planes and electrifying colors, he utilized Judaism as his common subject matter. In the present painting, Lieberman depicts in great detail the story of a Torah-scholar who purchased from the Leipzig Fair a bolt of expensive fabric much to his wife’s chagrin. The husband counters that she not be concerned as ultimately all is in God’s hands. Lo and behold, the wealthy provincial governor subsequently purchased the fabric from the rabbi to his profit, who in turn exclaims that one’s destiny is “Written Up Above” and thus one need never worry. Provenance: Purchased directly from the artist, early 1970’s.