Iosif Iser

Who was Iosif Iser?

Iosif Iser was a Romanian painter and graphic artist.

Born to a Jewish family, he was initially inspired by Expressionism, creating drawings with thick, unmodulated, lines and steep angles. After studies in Munich and Paris, Iser worked for the socialist press, publishing a large number of caricatures. He also started his first series of paintings with Dobrujan themes, usually featuring local Tatar portraits.

Around 1920, Iosif Iser adopted a more luminous range of colours, while softening the textures. He continued his "Tatar" themes with his Tătăroaică în albastru and Famile de tătari. He expanded on another series, one that depicted harlequins.

In 1955, he was elected a full member of the Romanian Academy.