Gefilte Fish – 🏛️ Currently on Museum Exhibition

Cultural, Historical & Educational Context: Jewish Folklore, Mysticism, and Poetic Memory „Gefilte Fish” (The Carp) stands as the most poetic, oneiric, and allegorical composition in the 22-canvas cycle Kaddish for Shtetl. The work draws deeply from Ashkenazi Jewish folklore, where mundane realities were seamlessly elevated into realms of magic, myth, and holiness. The carp — a culinary staple and religious symbol of the Sabbath table representing fertility and blessing — is reimagined as a mythical vessel sailing across the sky.

From an educational and artistic perspective, Marek Hausmann captures the boundless, winged imagination of the pre-war shtetl, proving that despite hardships, this vanished world possessed the unique power to craft wonder and magic out of memory.

Visual Analysis, Authentic Colors, and Chagallesque Iconography The painting is an explosion of chromatic intensity and figurative rhythm:

• The Fiddler and the Celestial Carp: At the center, a klezmer violinist in a traditional black hat and deep violet-indigo coat plays with eyes closed in devotional trance, riding a monumental, mosaic-scaled fish. The carp glistens in vibrant stained-glass patterns of turquoise, sky blue, vivid red, bright yellow, and emerald, soaring over the geometric terracotta and ochre rooftops of the sleeping town.

• Floating Sacred Emblems: Suspended in the air around the musician are iconic fragments of Jewish life and faith:

  • The Torah Scroll: Unfurled on the left, anchoring the vision in sacred law.

  • The Silver Kiddush Goblet: Floating in the upper left, embodying Sabbath sanctification.

  • The Chanukah Dreidel: Hovering in the upper right, bearing the letters of miracle and celebration.

  • Dancing Hebrew Letters: Mystical characters dancing to the violin’s tune across an azure and fiery orange sky.

Signed lower right in bold black („HAUSMANN”). „Gefilte Fish” serves as a painted Kaddish honoring the poetic soul, folklore, and transcendental spirit of the shtetl.

Technical Specifications:

• Title: Gefilte Fish / Karp po żydowsku (The Carp)

• Series: Kaddish for Shtetl (from the 22-canvas cycle)

• Artist: Marek Hausmann

• Medium: Oil on canvas

• Dimensions: 60 × 80 cm (approx. 23.6 × 31.5 in)

• Year: 2026

• Signature: Signed lower right „HAUSMANN”

• Authenticity: Accompanied by an official Certificate of Authenticity (COA) signed by the artist.