Lena Rivera
The Soyer brothers—Moses, Raphael, and Isaac Soyer—were known as an American family of painters of Russian origin. Their paintings reveal a poignant vision of the human condition, with a focus on the everyday lives of their subjects. The brothers' works included paintings in watercolours, lithographs, and book illustrations, with Moses and Raphael engaging in Social Realism during the Great Depression of the 1930s, demonstrating empathy with the struggles of the working class. Their paintings tell us about their subjects' aspirations and disappointments, with a particular focus on the middle-class Jewish life in America, the art scene in New York, and urban society.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of brothers | 3 |
| Names of the brothers | Moses Soyer, Raphael Soyer, Isaac Soyer |
| Profession | Painters |
| Origin | Russian |
| Year of immigration to the United States | 1912 |
| Cities they lived in | Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Bronx, New York |
| Art schools they attended | Cooper Union, National Academy of Design, Educational Alliance Art School, Art Students League |
| Subjects of their paintings | Everyday life, family, art scene in New York, working class, urban society, portraits, self-portraits, female subjects, scenes of urban life |
| Artistic styles and mediums | Watercolors, lithographs, book illustrations, etching, printmaking, draughtsmanship |
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What You'll Learn
The Soyer brothers' individual artistic styles
The Soyer brothers—Moses, Raphael, and Isaac—were Russian-born painters who moved to the United States in 1912. The brothers were known for their depictions of everyday life, including their family's middle-class Jewish life in America, the New York art scene, the working class, and urban society. While they shared similar subjects, each brother developed their own artistic style.
Moses Soyer was a traditional painter who, along with his twin brother Raphael, engaged in Social Realism during the 1930s. They demonstrated empathy with the struggles of the working class. However, Moses's paintings tended to be more assertive than Raphael's. Moses's works often portrayed character and conveyed mood, with a preference for sadness even in seemingly joyous paintings.
Raphael Soyer, on the other hand, was a painter, draughtsman, and prolific printmaker. He is identified as a Social Realist due to his interest in portraying men and women in contemporary settings, such as the streets, subways, and artists' studios of New York City. Raphael's paintings expressed the aspirations and disappointments of ordinary people, often revealing a poignant vision of the human condition. He frequently painted self-portraits and portraits of artists and writers he befriended, including Allen Ginsberg and Arshile Gorky.
Isaac Soyer, the youngest of the three brothers, also pursued a career in painting. While less information is available about his specific artistic style, it is known that he contributed to the family's artistic legacy.
Despite their individual styles, the Soyer brothers shared a commitment to portraying the realities of their time, whether it was the struggles of the working class or the intimate moments of their daily lives. They left a lasting impact on American art, with their works featured in prominent museums and collections across the country.
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Their portrayal of character through portraiture
The three Soyer brothers, Moses, Raphael, and Isaac Soyer, were known as an American family of painters of Russian origin who immigrated to the United States in 1912. The brothers were encouraged to draw from an early age by their father, a teacher of Hebrew literature and history. They studied painting in New York at various art schools, including Cooper Union, the National Academy of Design, and the Educational Alliance Art School.
Moses and Raphael Soyer, in particular, were interested in portraying character through portraiture. They sought to convey mood and were drawn to sadness rather than light, even in paintings that appeared superficially joyous. For example, one of the best-known paintings by Raphael Soyer is "Dancing Lesson," which shows the Soyer family in a lighthearted moment. However, upon closer inspection, the painting conveys a sense of melancholy and aspiration that is characteristic of the artist's work.
Raphael Soyer's paintings often expressed the aspirations and disappointments of ordinary people. He frequently painted himself, his friends, and other artists, as well as scenes of urban life and people from all walks of life, including derelicts, working people, and the unemployed during the Depression era. Soyer's work revealed a renewed emphasis on female subjects, with many scenes of women in the workplace, such as dance teachers and dressmakers. He also created dozens of self-portraits, many of which include views of his studio.
Like his brother, Moses Soyer also painted intimate portraits of his family and friends. He and his brothers depicted the everyday life of their family's middle-class Jewish life in America, the New York art scene, the working class, and urban society. Moses Soyer's work can be found in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, including a painting titled "Woman in Pink Blouse" and a screenprint on paper called "Seamstress."
Overall, the Soyer brothers' portraits provide a glimpse into the lives and times of ordinary people, particularly during the Depression era in New York. Their work conveys a range of emotions and aspirations, offering a poignant vision of the human condition.
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Their empathy with the struggles of the working class
The Soyer brothers, Raphael, Moses, and Isaac, were known for their empathy with the struggles of the working class, which was reflected in their artwork. The brothers were born in Russia in 1899 and emigrated to the United States with their family in 1912 due to the difficulties faced by the Jewish population in the late Russian Empire. They grew up in an intellectual and artistic environment, with their father, Abraham, being a Hebrew scholar, writer, and teacher who encouraged his sons to pursue academic and artistic endeavours.
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, Raphael and Moses Soyer engaged in Social Realism, demonstrating their empathy with the struggles of the working class. Their artwork during this time focused on the lives of working-class people in New York, including the unemployed and those affected by the economic crisis. The Soyer brothers' interest in Social Realism may have been influenced by their own experiences of financial hardship during their teenage years, when they struggled to acclimate to the United States and had to leave school to help support their family.
Raphael Soyer's artwork has been described as sympathetic and melancholic, expressing the aspirations and disappointments of ordinary people. He frequently painted working-class individuals, capturing their intimate and psychological portraits. Soyer's unique eye for intimacy and mood set him apart from other painters, and he refused to accept commissions, instead focusing on personal subjects. He portrayed the anonymous working class, studying the effects of the modern world on their psyches.
Moses Soyer, on the other hand, was known for his intimate and psychologically penetrating portraits of ordinary people. He depicted the everyday lives of middle-class Jewish families in America, as well as the working class and urban society. Moses's artwork has been described as a "study of the effects of the modern world on the psyche," revealing his empathy with the struggles and experiences of his subjects.
The Soyer brothers' artwork during the Great Depression and throughout their careers reflected their understanding of and concern for the working class. Their artwork has provided a glimpse into the lives and struggles of ordinary people during a significant period in American history, making their work not only artistically significant but also socially and historically important.
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Their use of colour and brushwork
The Soyer brothers, Raphael, Moses, and Isaac, were encouraged by their father, a Hebrew scholar, to pursue their artistic ambitions from a young age. The brothers' works included paintings in watercolours, lithographs, and book illustrations. They depicted everyday life, including scenes of their family's middle-class Jewish life in America, the New York art scene, the working class, and urban society.
Raphael Soyer was a painter, draughtsman, and prolific printmaker, working first in etching and then lithography. He was reserved and introspective, often turning to his surroundings for inspiration. His early work reflects an admiration for the Ashcan school’s commitment to realistic depictions of city life. He painted parks and streets, peddlers and children, and domestic scenes of his family in a flat, seemingly untrained style. He believed that "if art is to survive, it must describe and express people, their lives and times. It must communicate." His portrayals of the human condition during the Depression era were poignant, revealing the realities of Depression-era New York without overt political statements.
Moses Soyer, also a painter, attended the Cooper Union Art School, the National Academy of Design, the Beaux Arts Institute of Design, and the Educational Alliance Art School. He was particularly skilled at math and was the most assertive of the brothers. His paintings often resembled those of his brother Raphael, so much so that they decided to attend different art schools to develop their unique styles.
Isaac Soyer, the youngest of the three brothers, also contributed significantly to the artistic legacy of the family. While information on his artistic techniques and specific works is limited, his pieces are featured alongside those of his brothers at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
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Their impact on American modernism
The Soyer brothers, Raphael and Moses, were prominent American artists of the 1930s and 40s, who played a significant role in shaping American modernism. Their work reflected their unique perspective as immigrants, and their art focused on capturing the realities of urban life and the human condition, particularly during the Great Depression.
The brothers were born in Russia in 1899 and immigrated to the United States in 1912 due to escalating oppression of Jewish people in the Russian Empire. They settled in New York, a city that would strongly influence their artistic careers. The Soyers were encouraged to draw from a young age by their father, Abraham Shauer, a Hebrew scholar, writer, and teacher. This intellectual and artistic upbringing laid the foundation for their future success.
As teenagers, Raphael and Moses began their artistic studies at renowned institutions such as the National Academy of Design, the Art Students League of New York, and Cooper Union. They associated with artists like Robert Henri, the founder of the Ashcan School, and became closely affiliated with the Fourteenth Street School. This group of artists sought to redefine realist painting by combining social realism with modern urban subjects and Renaissance art techniques.
The Soyer brothers' work stood out during a time when American art was experimenting with various styles, including Impressionism and Abstract Expressionism. They resisted overt political statements in their art, instead focusing on the psychological impact of modern life on individuals. Raphael Soyer once wrote, "I consider myself a modern artist, or rather an artist of today ... because I am influenced by the thoughts, the life, and the aesthetics of our time." This is evident in his paintings, which often featured anonymous working-class individuals, capturing the effects of the modern world on their psyches.
Both brothers were skilled at portraying intimate moments and expressing empathy for the struggles of the working class during the Great Depression. They depicted the urban population's plight, capturing the loneliness and isolation of city life. Their work documented the reality of bread lines and soup kitchens, offering a poignant vision of the human condition during those challenging times.
In conclusion, the Soyer brothers' impact on American modernism lies in their unique ability to capture the human experience during turbulent times. Their dedication to realism and communication set them apart, and their work continues to be celebrated in prominent museums and galleries across the United States.
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Frequently asked questions
The Soyer brothers, Moses, Raphael, and Isaac Soyer, were an American family of painters of Russian origin. They moved to the United States in 1912 due to escalating Czarist oppression of Jewish people in Russia. The brothers were encouraged to draw by their father, a teacher of Hebrew literature and history. They attended art school in New York and became known for their depictions of everyday life, the art scene in New York, the working class, and urban society.
The Soyer brothers were known for their realist paintings, often depicting the people and surroundings of their namesake street, a center of shopping and entertainment for average and working-class New Yorkers. They combined an interest in social realism and modern urban subjects with a knowledge of Renaissance art techniques. Their works included paintings in watercolors, lithographs, and book illustrations.
Some examples of the Soyer brothers' paintings include "Dancing Lesson" by Raphael Soyer, which shows his brother Moses being taught to dance by their sister Rebecca while Israel plays the harmonica. Another example is "New York Man" by Moses Soyer, an oil on canvas painting from circa 1945. The brothers also collaborated on a series of 1939 WPA murals at the Kingsessing Station post office in Philadelphia.
