This original 9x12 pen-and-ink line drawing by Yossi Stern, one of Israel’s most celebrated illustrators, captures a tender moment between a mother and child using Stern’s iconic minimalist contour style. Born in Hungary in 1923 and later known as “The Painter of Jerusalem,” Stern mastered expressive, modernist drawing after training at the Debrecen Academy and working as an official IDF war artist.
Rendered with graceful, fluid linework, this piece reflects Stern’s lifelong interest in documenting intimate human relationships. His drawings were featured in major Israeli museums, cultural institutions, and international collections. Signed lower right and acquired in New York City, this artwork is offered from Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC, and represents an excellent example of Stern’s emotionally resonant figurative work.
Title:Mother and Child (Untitled Line Drawing)
Artist:Yossi Stern (1923–1992)
Medium: Pen & Ink Line Drawing on Paper
Size: 9 x 12 inches
Location Acquired: New York City
Signature: Signed “Y. Stern” (lower right)
Period: Mid–Late 20th Century
Style: Modernist Line Drawing • Israeli Expressionism • Figurative Minimalism
This elegant 9x12 pen-and-ink drawing portrays a tender, intimate moment between a mother and child—one of the central themes in Yossi Stern’s postwar figurative work. The artist uses swift, confident contour lines to create form, relying on minimal detail while capturing emotional depth. The mother’s head tilts gently downward, her eyes closed in calm reflection, while the child—nestled against her—holds a simple flower.
The economy of line and expressive fluidity reflect Stern’s mastery of modernist drawing and his background in editorial illustration, where clarity and gesture are paramount. The drawing also shows his roots in European draftsmanship combined with Israeli expressive sensibilities—spare, delicate, warm, and filled with human dignity.
The small still-life in the background (cup, papers, or table surfaces) reinforces Stern’s narrative habit of embedding symbolic domestic details into intimate scenes. This piece embodies the emotional restraint and clarity that distinguished Stern as one of Israel’s most beloved illustrators and documenters of civilian life.
Yossi Stern (Joseph Stern) was born in 1923 in Debrecen, Hungary, into an Orthodox Jewish family. At age 13, he began formal art studies at the Debrecen Academy of Art, where he trained in classical drawing, portraiture, and illustration techniques.
His teenage years were marked by the rise of Nazism and the turmoil preceding World War II. Stern escaped Hungary in 1940—at age 17—and immigrated alone to Jerusalem under the Youth Aliyah program. He continued independent studies in painting and drawing, quickly integrating into the local cultural scene.
In Jerusalem, Stern became one of the most sought-after young illustrators of the British Mandate period. His early commissions included:
Editorial illustrations
Posters
Newspaper and magazine drawings
Portraits of public figures
Documentations of daily life in Jerusalem
During Israel’s independence war (1948), Stern was appointed an official artist for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), producing hundreds of sketches of soldiers, refugees, and wartime civilian scenes. These works established his national significance.
Stern’s work reflects a unique combination of:
Traditional European draftsmanship
Expressionist contour linework
Israeli modernism
Influences from artists such as Käthe Kollwitz (emotional economy of line), early Marc Chagall (humanist spirit), and war artists of the early 20th century
He favored minimalist lines with deep narrative meaning—instantly recognizable and emotionally resonant.
Throughout his career, Stern worked as:
Illustrator for major Israeli newspapers and journals
Poster artist
Commercial draftsman
Painter and portraitist
Nationally recognized chronicler of Jerusalem life
He later taught drawing and was involved in various cultural institutions, always focusing on the expressive power of line.
Stern exhibited widely, including:
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem
Tel Aviv Museum of Art
Bezalel Academy exhibitions
European and American Jewish cultural institutions
He received numerous awards for contributions to Israeli art and visual culture. His works are held in major collections worldwide, including national museums, the IDF archives, and significant private holdings.
Known affectionately as “The Painter of Jerusalem,” Stern documented life with empathy and poetic linework. His minimalist drawings—such as the mother-and-child theme—reflect universal human emotion and remain highly collectible.
Yossi Stern (1923–1992)
Mother and Child (Untitled)
Pen & Ink on Paper, 9 x 12 in.
Signed lower right; acquired in NYC.
A graceful, expressive line drawing by Israeli master Yossi Stern, known for his minimalist figurative style and role as the “Painter of Jerusalem.” A tender mother–child composition demonstrating Stern’s refined contour technique.
Artist: Yossi Stern (1923–1992)
Title:Mother and Child (Untitled Line Drawing)
Medium: Pen & Ink on Paper
Size: 9 x 12 inches
Date: Mid–Late 20th Century
Signature: Signed “Y. Stern”
Origin: Acquired in New York City
Current Owner: Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC
Artist Background:
Yossi Stern, born in Debrecen, Hungary, trained at the Debrecen Academy of Art and immigrated to Jerusalem in 1940. An official war artist during Israel’s Independence War, Stern became internationally recognized for his expressive contour drawings. Exhibited at major institutions including the Israel Museum and Tel Aviv Museum of Art.
Authentication:
Verified by stylistic analysis, signature comparison, and provenance consistent with known Stern works.
Private Collection, NYC
Secondary Market, New York
Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC — Present Owner
This original 9x12 pen-and-ink line drawing by Yossi Stern, one of Israel’s most celebrated illustrators, captures a tender moment between a mother and child using Stern’s iconic minimalist contour style. Born in Hungary in 1923 and later known as “The Painter of Jerusalem,” Stern mastered expressive, modernist drawing after training at the Debrecen Academy and working as an official IDF war artist.
Rendered with graceful, fluid linework, this piece reflects Stern’s lifelong interest in documenting intimate human relationships. His drawings were featured in major Israeli museums, cultural institutions, and international collections. Signed lower right and acquired in New York City, this artwork is offered from Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC, and represents an excellent example of Stern’s emotionally resonant figurative work.
Title:Mother and Child (Untitled Line Drawing)
Artist:Yossi Stern (1923–1992)
Medium: Pen & Ink Line Drawing on Paper
Size: 9 x 12 inches
Location Acquired: New York City
Signature: Signed “Y. Stern” (lower right)
Period: Mid–Late 20th Century
Style: Modernist Line Drawing • Israeli Expressionism • Figurative Minimalism
This elegant 9x12 pen-and-ink drawing portrays a tender, intimate moment between a mother and child—one of the central themes in Yossi Stern’s postwar figurative work. The artist uses swift, confident contour lines to create form, relying on minimal detail while capturing emotional depth. The mother’s head tilts gently downward, her eyes closed in calm reflection, while the child—nestled against her—holds a simple flower.
The economy of line and expressive fluidity reflect Stern’s mastery of modernist drawing and his background in editorial illustration, where clarity and gesture are paramount. The drawing also shows his roots in European draftsmanship combined with Israeli expressive sensibilities—spare, delicate, warm, and filled with human dignity.
The small still-life in the background (cup, papers, or table surfaces) reinforces Stern’s narrative habit of embedding symbolic domestic details into intimate scenes. This piece embodies the emotional restraint and clarity that distinguished Stern as one of Israel’s most beloved illustrators and documenters of civilian life.
Yossi Stern (Joseph Stern) was born in 1923 in Debrecen, Hungary, into an Orthodox Jewish family. At age 13, he began formal art studies at the Debrecen Academy of Art, where he trained in classical drawing, portraiture, and illustration techniques.
His teenage years were marked by the rise of Nazism and the turmoil preceding World War II. Stern escaped Hungary in 1940—at age 17—and immigrated alone to Jerusalem under the Youth Aliyah program. He continued independent studies in painting and drawing, quickly integrating into the local cultural scene.
In Jerusalem, Stern became one of the most sought-after young illustrators of the British Mandate period. His early commissions included:
Editorial illustrations
Posters
Newspaper and magazine drawings
Portraits of public figures
Documentations of daily life in Jerusalem
During Israel’s independence war (1948), Stern was appointed an official artist for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), producing hundreds of sketches of soldiers, refugees, and wartime civilian scenes. These works established his national significance.
Stern’s work reflects a unique combination of:
Traditional European draftsmanship
Expressionist contour linework
Israeli modernism
Influences from artists such as Käthe Kollwitz (emotional economy of line), early Marc Chagall (humanist spirit), and war artists of the early 20th century
He favored minimalist lines with deep narrative meaning—instantly recognizable and emotionally resonant.
Throughout his career, Stern worked as:
Illustrator for major Israeli newspapers and journals
Poster artist
Commercial draftsman
Painter and portraitist
Nationally recognized chronicler of Jerusalem life
He later taught drawing and was involved in various cultural institutions, always focusing on the expressive power of line.
Stern exhibited widely, including:
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem
Tel Aviv Museum of Art
Bezalel Academy exhibitions
European and American Jewish cultural institutions
He received numerous awards for contributions to Israeli art and visual culture. His works are held in major collections worldwide, including national museums, the IDF archives, and significant private holdings.
Known affectionately as “The Painter of Jerusalem,” Stern documented life with empathy and poetic linework. His minimalist drawings—such as the mother-and-child theme—reflect universal human emotion and remain highly collectible.
Yossi Stern (1923–1992)
Mother and Child (Untitled)
Pen & Ink on Paper, 9 x 12 in.
Signed lower right; acquired in NYC.
A graceful, expressive line drawing by Israeli master Yossi Stern, known for his minimalist figurative style and role as the “Painter of Jerusalem.” A tender mother–child composition demonstrating Stern’s refined contour technique.
Artist: Yossi Stern (1923–1992)
Title:Mother and Child (Untitled Line Drawing)
Medium: Pen & Ink on Paper
Size: 9 x 12 inches
Date: Mid–Late 20th Century
Signature: Signed “Y. Stern”
Origin: Acquired in New York City
Current Owner: Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC
Artist Background:
Yossi Stern, born in Debrecen, Hungary, trained at the Debrecen Academy of Art and immigrated to Jerusalem in 1940. An official war artist during Israel’s Independence War, Stern became internationally recognized for his expressive contour drawings. Exhibited at major institutions including the Israel Museum and Tel Aviv Museum of Art.
Authentication:
Verified by stylistic analysis, signature comparison, and provenance consistent with known Stern works.
Private Collection, NYC
Secondary Market, New York
Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC — Present Owner
