Yitzhak Frenkel

Life & Legacy

Yitzhak Frenkel (Hebrew: יצחק פרנקל; 1899–1981), also known as Isaac Frenkel or Alexandre Frenel, was an Israeli painter, sculptor and teacher. He was one of the leading Jewish artists of the l’École de Paris and its chief practitioner in Israel, gaining international recognition during his lifetime.
Frenkel is considered the father of modern Israeli art. He is accredited with bringing the influence of the l’École de Paris to Israel, which until then was dominated by Orientalism.
Throughout his life he lived and worked in Portugal, South Africa, France, Odessa and Israel (especially in Tel Aviv and Safed).
He died in Tel Aviv in 1981 and was buried in Safed.