Page 338 - The Legacy of Abraham Rothstein - text

Genre: modern

indicating the relative unimportance of the portrait to AR—or
the poor condition of his tools. As a result, the piece has the
look of folk art, like crudely-done scrimshaw.

6 Two soldiers *
Wood
10.75” x 3.5”
Inscription: Die Grenadiere (above figures)

With the measured step of processional figures on a Greek
frieze, two mutilated soldiers return from the wars, perhaps on
their way home after long service, on this carefully-carved mid-
relief plaque. Despite sad and strained expressions, the
beardless faces are young; and the uniforms identify these men
as late-nineteenth century Eastern European foot-soldiers—
AR knew those caps, belts, boots, and overcoats well from his
childhood. Advancing from right to left, the lead figure wears a
sabre—but he is missing an arm; his rifle-bearing companion,
whose right leg has been amputated below the knee and
replaced by a peg leg, helps support himself with one hand on
the first man’s shoulder. That contact also conveys moral or
emotional support being given in the other direction. The types
of weapons they continue to carry, through pride or a sense of
duty, are responsible for their loss of bodily parts; the sculptor
must have been aware of this irony. As reported, one of AR’s
favorite tunes had the title of this piece, which probably is an
illustration of that song’s lyrics. Given the probable outcome
had he remained in Poland to join the Czar’s army, the
poignancy of “Die Grenadiere” for him cannot be ignored.

73 Sea captain
Wood
4” long x 3.5” wide
Inscriptions: Abraham 54 (Hebrew, on back)

They [who] go down to the sea in ships (Hebrew,
on front)

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