Known to many as the “Painter of Jerusalem”, Yossi Stern (1923-1992) brought the streets of the ancient city to life. Modern marking interlaced with cobbled roads tied together through the unique lens of the world Stern had, his paintings imposed a calming and transitory view of the city he was not born in but came to call home.

Hailing from a small Northern Hungarian village, Stern found his luck while aboard a ship to his ancestral homeland; ironically, it was on the Sakariya, an illegal immigrant ship, wherein he befriended two other immigrants that would go on to become wealthy benefactors of his art. Patroning his growth as an artist, Stern’s studies at the Bezalel Art Academy were financed via their goodwill.

Stern first garnered widespread recognition as a painter in the final days of the Palestinian Mandate. Working as an illustrator for a local newspaper, he worked his way up in the industry throughout the founding years of the State of Israel, going on to create for such institutions as Yediot Ahronot and Davar, among others.

His artwork was unique in taking in the often arid, dusty, and bustling streets many overlooked as dirty, and putting a unique optimistic spin on the scene through deep blues and vibrant yellows. Highlighting those that often lived on the social boundaries, Stern brought a modern lens to an ancient city.