“Mounted Figure (attributed),” Nissan Engel (French-Israeli, 1931–2016), c.1960s–70s, carbon drawing on paper, 4 × 6 in., signed lower margin and inscribed.

An expressive and energetic original carbon drawing by celebrated French-Israeli artist Nissan Engel, this compact 4 × 6 inch work captures a dynamic mounted figure rendered with swift gestural lines. Engel, known internationally for his abstract expressionist works, mixed-media compositions, and masterful stained-glass designs, demonstrates here his virtuoso draftsmanship and fluency of movement. Acquired in New York City, this rare drawing highlights Engel’s spontaneous graphic process and offers collectors an intimate example of his early mark-making style.

ARTWORK DESCRIPTION

This vivid carbon drawing showcases Nissan Engel’s signature gestural freedom and his remarkable ability to conjure form from expressive abstraction. With rapid, looping strokes and decisive contour lines, Engel sketches a figure on horseback, spear angled upward, evoking both motion and mythic narrative. The scribbled mass of energetic charcoal marks creates tension between chaos and clarity—a hallmark of Engel’s technique.

The drawing reflects Engel’s lifelong interest in movement, musicality, and symbolic storytelling. Although compact in scale, its intensity is unmistakable: the figure’s posture, the vigorous pulling of reins, and the swirling energy around the horse draw directly from Engel’s broader body of work, where he often merged abstraction with figurative suggestion.

The piece is signed and inscribed “to Mitch, Nissan”, indicating a personal dedication, likely from his New York period when he maintained close ties with collectors, dealers, and gallery owners. The work’s immediacy suggests it may have been created as a preparatory study or a quick improvisational sketch—demonstrating the raw, intuitive stage of Engel’s creative process.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY — NISSAN ENGEL (1931–2016)

Nissan Engel was born in Haifa, Israel in 1931. He studied at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Israel’s premier institution for visual arts, and later continued his training in Paris, enrolling in the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts and the École du Louvre, where he studied art history, printmaking, and composition. Paris shaped the foundation of his artistic voice, placing him at the center of post-war European avant-garde movements.

Career & Style

Engel developed an international reputation for his mixed-media works, collaged musical structures, calligraphic abstraction, and stained-glass designs. His work moves fluidly between:

• Abstract Expressionism

• Constructivist geometric structure

• Musical notation motifs

• Symbolic and narrative figuration

• Textural layered compositions

His art often incorporates sheet music, torn papers, calligraphic marks, and rich color fields—creating rhythmically structured works reminiscent of musical composition.

Stained Glass Commissions

Engel was an accomplished stained-glass designer, completing major commissions including:

• 28 stained-glass windows for Temple Israel, Lawrence, New York (1966–67)

• 16 stained-glass windows for Baltimore Hebrew Congregation (1968–69)

These monumental works established him as a major figure in 20th-century Judaic art.

Exhibitions

Engel exhibited widely across the world, with major showings in:

• Basel Art Fair (1975)

• Los Robles Gallery, California (1966)

• Riebenfeld Gallery, Israel (1970)

• Lim Gallery, Tel Aviv (1972)

• Vinciana Gallery, Italy (1977)

• Art Expo New York (1981)

• Lincoln Center, NY (1985)

• Meissner Gallery, Hamburg (1989)

• Nahan Galleries, New York (1990)

• Galerie L’Estampe, Strasbourg (1995)

• John Davies Gallery, London (1996)

He also participated in Salon de la Jeune Peinture and Salon National des Beaux-Arts at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris in 1958–59, 1962–64, and 1971.

Collections

Engel’s works reside in major public and private collections, including:

• Albright-Knox Museum, NY

• Bridgestone Museum, Tokyo

• Detroit Institute of Arts

• Fresno Art Museum

• The Jewish Museum, NYC

• Muscarelle Museum of Art

• Weizmann Institute, Israel

• Neuberger Museum, NY

• Schlumberger Foundation, Paris

• Numerous private collectors, including Joseph Hirshhorn

A highly respected and internationally collected modern artist, Nissan Engel remains a major figure in post-war abstraction and Judaica-related art.

Nissan Engel (French-Israeli, 1931–2016)
Mounted Figure (attributed), c.1960s–70s
Carbon drawing on paper
4 × 6 in.
Signed and inscribed lower margin: “to Mitch, Nissan.”
Provenance: Private collection, NYC; Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC.
A vigorous gestural drawing by Engel capturing a mounted figure in dynamic motion.

CERTIFICATE OF VALUE & AUTHENTICATION
Artist: Nissan Engel (1931–2016)
Title: “Mounted Figure” (attributed)
Date: c.1960s–1970s
Medium: Carbon drawing on paper
Dimensions: 4 × 6 inches
Signature: Inscribed and signed “to Mitch, Nissan”
Provenance: Private NYC Collection; Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC
Condition: Good vintage condition with small age marks consistent with paper of the period.
Notes: This drawing is consistent with Engel’s early gestural studies and displays the hallmark energy and swirling linework seen in his preparatory sketches.
Authentication: Based on stylistic analysis, inscription, and known provenance, this work is authenticated as an original Nissan Engel drawing.

PROVENANCE CHAIN

1. Artist: Nissan Engel

2. Gift or sale from artist to Mitch (likely a dealer or gallery associate)

3. Private NYC Collection

4. Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC (Current Owner)