The exhibition celebrates the art of drawing through 130 outstanding examples of 20th-century works on paper that underscore transformations in this intimate, versatile medium. The artists whose works are presented were motivated by a wide range of philosophies, ideologies, and aims; what they shared was a search for innovative ways to express the century’s new and radical ideas.

The Hebrew words Shema Yisrael, “Hear, O Israel,” mark the opening of the Jewish declaration of faith. But few realize that the Shema is also connected to magic, specifically magic used for attaining protection, health, and success.

This is the first exhibition to explore the uses of the Shema in magic. It also addresses the role of tefillin (phylacteries) and mezuzot, ritual objects prescribed by Jewish law (halakhah) that contain the text of the Shema and are regarded as having protective qualities. 

Honoré Daumier (1808−1879) was a French painter and graphic artist who was deeply engaged in the political and social events of his time. Equipped with a sharp eye and a biting sense of humor, he captured the most subtle nuances of human expression and gesture and recorded them on stone from memory for newspaper publications.

Culled from the Museum’s collection of prints, this exhibition displays the wide range of topics that preoccupied the artist.

The creativity of Avner Katz (1939–2020) rested firmly on three pillars: illustration, painting, and writing. And each one supported the other, adding to the remarkable diversity of Katz’s distinctive work. The exhibition presents self-portraits that feature text and image in varying doses. Seen together, they enrich our understanding of the man and his unusual art: a writer who painted pictures and a painter who wrote metaphors.