Nachum Gutman
Nachum Gutman (as he himself signed; alternate romanisation: Nahum Gutman; October 5, 1898 – November 28, 1980) was a Moldovan-born Israeli painter, sculptor, and author.
Also recorded as Nahum Gutman · Nachum Ben-Zion · N. Gutman
Nachum Gutman

Israel Press and Photo Agency (I.P.P.A.) photographer · Photographer: Israel Press and Photo Agency (I.P.P.A.) / Dan Hadani collection, National Library of Israel / CC BY 4.0 · This image is available from National Library of Israel under the digital ID: 990044438640205171 (004443864) · CC BY 4.0
- Name
- Nachum Gutman
- Born
- 5 October 1898
- Birthplace
- Teleneşti, Bessarabia Governorate, Russian Empire
- Died
- 28 November 1980
- Field
- Painting
- Training
- Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design
- Awards
- Dizengoff Prize, Lamdan Prize, Israel Prize
- Nationality
- Israel.
- Occupation
- sculptor, painter, children's writer, writer, illustrator, mosaicist and artist.
- Fields
- eclecticism, landscape painting, cityscape and portrait.
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Nachum Gutman (as he himself signed; alternate romanisation: Nahum Gutman; October 5, 1898 – November 28, 1980) was a Moldovan-born Israeli painter, sculptor, and author.
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wikidata · Q2915105 · wikipedia · Nachum Gutman
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Nachum Gutman • Born — 5 October 1898 • Birthplace — Teleneşti, Bessarabia Governorate, Russian Empire • Died — 28 November 1980 • Field — Painting • Training — Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design • Awards — Dizengoff Prize, Lamdan Prize, Israel Prize • Illustration — Nachum Gutman mosaic wall at Shalom Tower, where the old Herzliya Gymnasium once stood; detail showing orchards and a saqiya fountain outside old Jaffa
Biography
Biography
Nachum Gutman was born in Teleneşti, Bessarabia Governorate, then a part of the Russian Empire (now in the Republic of Moldova). He was the fourth child of Sim[c]ha Alter and Rivka Gutman. His father was a Hebrew writer and educator who wrote under the pen name S. Ben Zion. In 1903, the family moved to Odessa, and two years later, to Ottoman Palestine. In 1908, Gutman attended the Herzliya Gymnasium in what would later become Tel Aviv. In 1912, he studied at the Bezalel School in Jerusalem He enlisted as a volunteer in the Jewish Legion in 1918. In 1920–26, he studied art in Vienna, Berlin and Paris. Gutman was married to Dora, with whom he had a son. After Gutman's death in 1980, Dora asked two Tel Aviv gallery owners, Meir Stern of Stern Gallery and Miriam Tawin of Shulamit Gallery, to appraise the value all of the works left in his estate. • Illustration — Nahum Gutman, (the man to the right) at Yitzhak Frenkel's (standing in the center) home in Safed
Artistic career
Artistic career
• Illustration — Gutman's studio, Nahum Gutman Museum of Art Gutman helped pioneer a distinctively Israeli style, moving away from the European influences of his teachers. He worked in many different media: oils, watercolours, gouache and pen and ink. His sculptures and brightly colored mosaics can be seen in public places around Tel Aviv. Indoor murals depicting the history of Tel Aviv can be seen in the western wing of the Shalom Tower and the Chief Rabbinate building. A mosaic fountain with scenes from the early days of Tel Aviv and biblical stories connected to Jaffa (inscribed with 3 Bible verses: Jeremiah 31:4, 2 Chronicles 2:16, Jonah 1:3), stood for 32 years at the end of Bialik Street, opposite the old Tel Aviv municipality building. In 2012 this mosaic fountain was reinstalled at the southern end of Rothschild Boulevard. Gutman's artistic style was eclectic, ranging from figurative to abstract. Gutman was also a well-known writer and illustrator of children's books.
Outdoor and public art
Outdoor and public art
• 1961 A mosaic wall at the Chief Rabbinate building, Tel Aviv • 1966 A mosaic wall in memory of the Herzliya high school at Migdal Shalom (Shalom Tower), Tel Aviv • 1976 History of Jaffa and Tel Aviv, mosaic-decorated fountain, initially Bialik Square, now southern end of Rothschild Boulevard Tel Aviv
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
The authorities additionally record the headings Nahum Gutman, Nachum Ben-Zion and N. His recorded language was Hebrew. He was the child of Simcha Ben Zion. One child is recorded: Menachem Gutman.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
Explore 1898–1980
The full dated record · 28 entries
1898
Nachum Gutman born at Telenești.
1926
Day of Festivity in Jaffa`s Orchads, dated 1926, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1926
The Arab Horseman on a White Horse, dated 1926, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1926
Women on a Balcony, dated 1926, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1927
Flowers by the Window, dated 1927, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1929
woman by the orchard faucet, dated 1929, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1931
Dora Combung her hair in the mirror, dated 1931, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1932
Woman with a black Bird, dated 1932, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1933
The Tel Aviv Beach, dated 1933, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1934
Illustration for the Poem “By the Seashore", dated 1934, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1936
The Tel-Aviv Port, dated 1936, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1939
Sketch for the front cover of: In the Land of Lobengulu, The King of Zulu, dated 1939, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1950
Ahuzat bait at its Beginnings, dated 1950, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1959
Dr. Chissin on His Donkey, a View from Behind, dated 1959, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1959
Boats on a Holiday in Haifa Port, dated 1959, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1960
A Speach I Never Gave Against The Demoolition of the Gimnasia, dated 1960, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1960
The Watermelon Eater, dated 1960, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1960
Pioneer in the Sands, dated 1960, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1962
Bialik in his garden, dated 1962, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1967
Three Young Girls in Safed, dated 1967, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1968
A Horse Carrige in A Orange Grove, dated 1968, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1968
Synagogoue in Zeffat, dated 1968, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1969
Nachum Gutman (1969) is digitised and catalogued by Open Library.
1969
Nachum Gutman digitised by Open Library.
1970
Illustration for his story: I Tell of Myself, dated 1970, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1971
Sketch for a Mosaic for Bialik St. - Allenby St. & the Mograbi Cinema, dated 1971, held by Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.
1972
Nahum Gutman Fountain.
1980
Nachum Gutman died at Israel.
Published works
Published works
• Path of the Orange Peels: Adventures in the Early Days of Tel Aviv (English translation: Nelly Segal) Dodd, Mead & Company, 1979 • "Seven Mills and Another Station" (Sheva T'khanot ve'od Takhana), Yavneh 1956 • "In the Land of Lobengulu King of Zulu", Massadah 1940
Digitised editions and texts
Primary material
Digitised editions and texts
Nachum Gutman (1969) — Open Library
Recognition and collections
Where the work is held
Recognition and collections
Nachum Gutman received Israel Prize, Dizengoff Prize, Yakir Tel-Aviv Yafo and Hans Christian Andersen Award.
Documents and archives
Primary material
Documents and archives
scholarly publication
- Gutman, Nachum, Benezit Dictionary of Artists, 2011
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 2011
reference work
- “Nachum Gutman”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q2915105: Nachum Gutman
Unverified · Wikidata
Awards and recognition
• Illustration — Rear side of mosaic fountain by Gutman at its original location (1976-2008) at Bialik Square, Tel Aviv Gutman received many art and literary prizes: • 1938: Dizengoff Prize for painting (also in 1956) • 1946: Lamdan Prize for children's literature • 1955: Sicily Award for watercolor painting at the São Paulo Biennale • 1956: Dizengoff Prize for painting (also in 1938) • 1962: Hans Christian Andersen Literary Prize on behalf of Unesco for his book "Path of Orange Peels" • 1964: Yatziv Prize • 1969: Fichman Prize for Literature and Art • 1974: Honorary Doctor of Philosophy from Tel Aviv University • 1976: Honorary Citizen of Tel Aviv • 1978: Israel Prize, for children's literature The Nachum Gutman Museum, showcasing the artist's work, was established in the Neve Tzedek neighborhood of Tel Aviv.
Literature
Literature
Literature
Gutman, Nachum, Benezit Dictionary of Artists, 2011
Scholarly footprint
Literature
Scholarly footprint
A count of publications is evidence of attention, not of standing, and is given here only as a measure.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
scholarly publication
Gutman, Nachum, Benezit Dictionary of Artists, 2011Crossref registry
Verifiedreference work
Partially resolvedauthority record
Unverified
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
Nachum Gutman studied at Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts, Bezalel Academy of Art and Design and Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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