About Abraham Manievich
Belarusian-born expressionist painter whose work documented Jewish life in Eastern Europe and the trauma of the 1919[1] Kiev pogroms.

Where to see Abraham Manievich
Collection holdings are reported here; current display varies. Check with each museum before visiting.
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1 recorded work
Brooklyn Museum
New York City, United States
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1 recorded work
New York Historical
New York City, United States
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1 recorded work
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Philadelphia, United States
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1 recorded work
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia, United States
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I see Abraham Manievich's work?
You can view Abraham Manievich's art in several locations. In the United States, these include the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Additionally, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), also in New York, hold examples of his work. Outside the United States, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto has pieces by Manievich. In the UK, the City of Manchester Art Galleries may also exhibit his work. Other museums that sometimes display Manievich's paintings include the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York and the Tel Aviv Museum. These institutions, among others, occasionally feature his works in their collections or special exhibitions.Why are Abraham Manievich's works important today?
Abraham Manievich (1881[1]-1942) was a Ukrainian-American[1] painter known for his post-impressionist style. His works often depict scenes of nature and urban life, rendered with a distinctive colour palette. Manievich's art provides insight into the cultural and social contexts of his time. As a Jewish artist who lived through periods of upheaval, including the Russian Revolution and the rise of Nazism, his paintings sometimes reflect themes of displacement and longing. His earlier works often portray the landscapes of Ukraine, while his later pieces capture the energy of New York City, where he emigrated in 1922[1]. Interest in Manievich's work has grown since the late twentieth century, with exhibitions and publications exploring his contribution to both Ukrainian and American art. His paintings are appreciated for their aesthetic qualities and for the historical perspectives they offer.Who did Abraham Manievich influence?
It is difficult to identify individuals directly influenced by Abraham Manievich. Research suggests possible influences in manuscript illumination, specifically within the Ashkenazi Jewish community and its interaction with Christian art during the 13th and 14th centuries. Manuscript illumination from the Lake Constance School shows a continuity with Jewish traditions originating in the Near East during the 10th century. There is also evidence of Western developments. For example, large illuminated mahzorim appeared in Ashkenaz around the same time as large Christian liturgical manuscripts. The function and composition of the mahzorim are similar to Christian antiphonaries. The scribal work of Hayyim, who produced the Sussex Pentateuch, shows similarities to other scribes in the region, such as Menahem ben Eliezer. Hayyim's script shares qualities with a Pentateuch housed in Vienna, suggesting a possible French source for his style. The design and decoration of the written page in both the Vienna Pentateuch and the Sussex Pentateuch also exhibit similarities. The compositional style of manuscripts from Lake Constance evolved, with the Sussex Pentateuch showing elaborated structural arrangements. The Mahzor's dynamic compositions suggest it was illuminated shortly after other manuscripts. The Siddur/SeMaQ may have served as a model for the artists of the Mahzor.Who influenced Abraham Manievich?
Many artists influenced Abraham Manievich. Modern artists such as Henri Matisse are often cited as influences on a generation of artists. Some artists used Matisse's surface-oriented figurative work to circumvent abstract expressionism. Matisse's drawings, especially the silhouetted forms and expressive shapes, offered direct inspiration to some artists. His use of colour and abstraction from nature also had an impact, with his decorative style and use of black as both colour and light being adopted by some. Other artists, such as Paul Klee, were also important. Klee's aesthetic, along with the traditions of Constructivism and Mondrian, offered another route for artists. Cézanne, Kandinsky, and Delaunay also affected some artists' ideas about colour.What is Abraham Manievich's most famous work?
It is difficult to name one single work as Abraham Manievich's most famous. His body of work includes many paintings of European and North American[1] subjects executed in an impressionistic style. Manievich was a Ukrainian artist who was born in 1881[1] and died in New York in 1942. He is known for his paintings of cities and the countryside. After training at the Munich Academy of Arts, he returned to his native Ukraine and exhibited his work in Kiev and St Petersburg. Following a pogrom in Kiev in 1911[1], Manievich left Russia and spent a few years in western Europe before immigrating to the United States in 1922. His later works often depict scenes of New York City and its surroundings.What style or movement did Abraham Manievich belong to?
It is difficult to assign Abraham Manievich to one specific style or movement, as his artistic approach incorporated elements of several. Some sources categorise Manievich as an Impressionist. This is due to his interest in capturing fleeting moments and the effects of light and atmosphere in his work. Others identify him as a Post-Impressionist, noting his move away from Impressionism's strict focus on optical realism toward more subjective and expressive colours and forms. Manievich's work also shows the influence of Expressionism, particularly in his use of colour to convey emotion. His paintings often feature bold, non-naturalistic colours and distorted forms, typical of the Expressionist aesthetic. Some art historians also see elements of Symbolism in his art, pointing to his use of imagery and metaphor to explore deeper spiritual or psychological themes. Manievich appears to have synthesised elements of Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Expressionism, and Symbolism in his paintings.What is Abraham Manievich known for?
Abraham Manievich is known for his painting, Destruction of the Ghetto, Kiev (1919[1]), which documents the Kiev pogroms. He is also known for his paintings of Jewish streets, synagogues, and community life after settling in New York.
Sources
Where to See guide aggregates verified holdings of Abraham Manievich's works across the following collections.
- [1] wikipedia Wikipedia: Abraham Manievich Used for: biography.
- [2] book guggenheim-chagallj00chag Used for: biography.
- [3] book Yevgenia Petrova (editor), Origins of the Russian avant-garde_ celebrating the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg_ the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore (13 February-25 May 2003), Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (29 June-21 September 2003) Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-10-14. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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