This delightful 9x12 ink drawing attributed to Yossi Stern showcases the artist’s charming, whimsical approach to line. Best known as “The Painter of Jerusalem,” Stern was celebrated for his expressive contour drawings and modernist minimalism. This playful fish—drawn with elegant simplicity—reflects the humor and spontaneity present in Stern’s lesser-seen personal sketch works.
Acquired in New York City and consistent with Stern’s mid-century line style, this piece is offered by Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC, and is ideal for collectors of Israeli art, modernist drawing, and minimalist illustration.
Title:Whimsical Fish (Untitled Line Drawing)
Artist:Yossi Stern (1923–1992) — Attributed
Medium: Pen & Ink Line Drawing on Paper
Size: 9 x 12 inches
Location Acquired: New York City
Signature: Unsigned
Period: Mid–Late 20th Century
Style: Modernist Minimalism • Whimsical Line Drawing • Israeli Expressionist Illustration
This charming 9x12 pen-and-ink drawing of a stylized fish reflects Yossi Stern’s playful, whimsical side—an aspect of his work far less common than his portraits and Jerusalem street scenes but documented in his sketchbooks and personal studies.
Drawn with Stern’s characteristic economy of line, the fish is created with a few confident strokes: a long sweeping tail, simplified scales, animated fins, and a smiling profile. The vertical dividing line — an unusual but deliberate compositional gesture — gives the piece a cartoonlike humor consistent with Stern’s European caricature roots.
The fluid curves, expressive simplicity, and perfectly balanced negative space show Stern’s mastery of modernist contour drawing. The piece is lighthearted, clean, spontaneous, and visually delightful—demonstrating how Stern could imbue even the simplest subject with warmth and personality.
Yossi Stern was born in 1923 in Debrecen, Hungary, where he studied at the Debrecen Academy of Art. At age 17 he fled wartime Europe alone and resettled in Jerusalem, where he became one of the most important figures in Israeli illustration and reportage drawing.
Official IDF war artist during the 1948 War of Independence
Leading illustrator for Israeli newspapers, magazines, and books
Poster and commercial artist
Cultural documentarian of Jerusalem life
Exhibited in Israel’s foremost museums, including the Israel Museum and Tel Aviv Museum of Art
Stern combined:
Central European caricature
Modernist minimalism
Expressive line drawing
Humanistic sensitivity
Often called “The Painter of Jerusalem,” Stern created work that captured both solemnity and playfulness. Drawings like the whimsical fish seen here demonstrate his lighter, humorous side—a feature found in his personal sketchbooks and creative studies.
Yossi Stern (1923–1992) — Attributed
Whimsical Fish (Untitled)
Pen & Ink on Paper, 9 x 12 in.
Unsigned; NYC acquisition.
A playful minimalist ink drawing of a stylized fish, characteristic of Stern’s expressive contour style and humor.
Artist: Yossi Stern (1923–1992) — Attributed
Title:Whimsical Fish (Untitled Line Drawing)
Medium: Pen & Ink on Paper
Size: 9 x 12 inches
Date: Mid–Late 20th Century
Signature: Unsigned
Origin: Acquired in New York City
Current Owner: Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC
Authentication Notes:
This drawing is unsigned but attributed to Yossi Stern on the basis of:
Strong stylistic alignment with Stern’s documented playful line drawings
Characteristic contour technique and modernist simplification
Provenance consistent with NYC dispersals of Stern’s estate-associated works
Private Collection, New York City
Secondary Market, NYC
Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC — Present Owner
This delightful 9x12 ink drawing attributed to Yossi Stern showcases the artist’s charming, whimsical approach to line. Best known as “The Painter of Jerusalem,” Stern was celebrated for his expressive contour drawings and modernist minimalism. This playful fish—drawn with elegant simplicity—reflects the humor and spontaneity present in Stern’s lesser-seen personal sketch works.
Acquired in New York City and consistent with Stern’s mid-century line style, this piece is offered by Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC, and is ideal for collectors of Israeli art, modernist drawing, and minimalist illustration.
Title:Whimsical Fish (Untitled Line Drawing)
Artist:Yossi Stern (1923–1992) — Attributed
Medium: Pen & Ink Line Drawing on Paper
Size: 9 x 12 inches
Location Acquired: New York City
Signature: Unsigned
Period: Mid–Late 20th Century
Style: Modernist Minimalism • Whimsical Line Drawing • Israeli Expressionist Illustration
This charming 9x12 pen-and-ink drawing of a stylized fish reflects Yossi Stern’s playful, whimsical side—an aspect of his work far less common than his portraits and Jerusalem street scenes but documented in his sketchbooks and personal studies.
Drawn with Stern’s characteristic economy of line, the fish is created with a few confident strokes: a long sweeping tail, simplified scales, animated fins, and a smiling profile. The vertical dividing line — an unusual but deliberate compositional gesture — gives the piece a cartoonlike humor consistent with Stern’s European caricature roots.
The fluid curves, expressive simplicity, and perfectly balanced negative space show Stern’s mastery of modernist contour drawing. The piece is lighthearted, clean, spontaneous, and visually delightful—demonstrating how Stern could imbue even the simplest subject with warmth and personality.
Yossi Stern was born in 1923 in Debrecen, Hungary, where he studied at the Debrecen Academy of Art. At age 17 he fled wartime Europe alone and resettled in Jerusalem, where he became one of the most important figures in Israeli illustration and reportage drawing.
Official IDF war artist during the 1948 War of Independence
Leading illustrator for Israeli newspapers, magazines, and books
Poster and commercial artist
Cultural documentarian of Jerusalem life
Exhibited in Israel’s foremost museums, including the Israel Museum and Tel Aviv Museum of Art
Stern combined:
Central European caricature
Modernist minimalism
Expressive line drawing
Humanistic sensitivity
Often called “The Painter of Jerusalem,” Stern created work that captured both solemnity and playfulness. Drawings like the whimsical fish seen here demonstrate his lighter, humorous side—a feature found in his personal sketchbooks and creative studies.
Yossi Stern (1923–1992) — Attributed
Whimsical Fish (Untitled)
Pen & Ink on Paper, 9 x 12 in.
Unsigned; NYC acquisition.
A playful minimalist ink drawing of a stylized fish, characteristic of Stern’s expressive contour style and humor.
Artist: Yossi Stern (1923–1992) — Attributed
Title:Whimsical Fish (Untitled Line Drawing)
Medium: Pen & Ink on Paper
Size: 9 x 12 inches
Date: Mid–Late 20th Century
Signature: Unsigned
Origin: Acquired in New York City
Current Owner: Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC
Authentication Notes:
This drawing is unsigned but attributed to Yossi Stern on the basis of:
Strong stylistic alignment with Stern’s documented playful line drawings
Characteristic contour technique and modernist simplification
Provenance consistent with NYC dispersals of Stern’s estate-associated works
Private Collection, New York City
Secondary Market, NYC
Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC — Present Owner
