Ruth – 🏛️ Currently on Museum Exhibition

Cultural, Historical & Educational Context: Childhood and Reverence for the Word „Ruth” is one of the most intimate and luminous portraits in the 22-canvas cycle Kaddish for Shtetl. Alongside its counterpart „David,” it forms a memorial dyptych dedicated to the youngest generation of pre-war shtetl inhabitants, who were destined to carry the heritage of their ancestors into the future.

From an educational and iconographic perspective, the painting emphasizes a cornerstone of Jewish culture: reverence for learning, memory, and the written word. The leather-bound book held close by the young girl symbolizes a deep commitment to tradition and education. Resting upon her chest is a pendant inscribed with the Hebrew letter Resh (ר) — the initial of her name — serving as a poignant symbol of individual identity and a tribute to the children whose lives and lineages were cut short.

Colors and Painterly Technique The composition is dominated by the magnetic, solemn gaze of the girl’s wide, dark eyes. Her expressive face, framed by soft reddish-brown curls escaping from beneath her headscarf, is illuminated by warm porcelain, rose, and amber tones.

Marek Hausmann crafts a dramatic chiaroscuro against a deep sapphire-navy background:

• Costume: Ruth wears a muted steel-blue patterned headscarf, a deep teal-blue pinafore dress over a white linen blouse with a buttoned collar, and a textured, multicolored patterned sash at the waist.

• Attributes: In her hand, she firmly holds an antique brown book with gilded page edges, complemented by the warm pendant displaying the Hebrew character on her chest.

The textural impasto on the linen sleeves and apron contrasts harmoniously with the delicate blending on her facial features. „Ruth” stands as a painted Kaddish honoring innocence, memory, and the lost children of the shtetl.

Technical Specifications:

• Title: Ruth / Rut

• 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.