Jonah’s Fish – 🏛️ Currently on Museum Exhibition

Cultural, Historical & Educational Context: The Shtetl Marketplace „Jonah’s Fish” captures a lively, slightly witty slice of daily life in a pre-war Jewish small town. In the historic Ashkenazi shtetl, small-scale trade was the heartbeat of survival — each morning brought a fresh pursuit of modest income to support the household and prepare for the approaching Sabbath.

The painting depicts Jonah, a humble town merchant, standing behind his wooden market stall. Laid out before him is the prize of a successful morning catch: a large, fresh fish resting on clean white paper, flanked by a generous jar of homemade pickled cucumbers and a dark bottle of wine. In the modest reality of the shtetl, this honest spread represents both hard work and economic resourcefulness.

A Witty Reversal of the Biblical Role The title playfully references the biblical Book of Jonah. While the ancient prophet was swallowed by a „great fish” as food — which paradoxically became the instrument of his deliverance from the deep — Hausmann stages a charming role reversal.

Here, the shtetl’s Jonah has caught the creature himself. The fish becomes his own tangible source of „deliverance” — relief from poverty and daily hardships. Selling this fine catch alongside his pickles and wine will bring in a few hard-earned coins, securing joy, food, and peace of mind for the weekend. The heavy biblical gravity transforms into an affectionate, warm human story of perseverance.

Visual Analysis and Palette The composition is rich in color and narrative charm. At the center of the stall, the fish shimmers with emerald greens, turquoises, and warm golden-ochre bellies against the stark white wrapping. The translucent glass jar of pickled green cucumbers and the deep silhouette of the wine bottle complete the foreground arrangement.

Behind Jonah, the picturesque shtetl architecture unfolds with charming pastel houses in pistachio greens, pale turquoises, and warm yellows, topped by terracotta-red gabled roofs beneath a bright sky. Dressed in a dark coat and flat cap, Jonah gazes out with a calm, patient, and gently melancholic look — the quiet face of an honest tradesman who knows his day’s labor has borne fruit.

Technical Specifications:

• Title: Jonah’s Fish / Ryba Jonasza

• 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.