Aronson, Boris

  • Oriental dance, 1922 Gouache and collage on paper24,8 x 20,9 in

  • Draft for the mural painting- Undzer Teater,1925Gouache, pencil and gold leaf on card 6.5 x 20.7 in

  • Draft for the mural painting- Undzer Teater,1925 Gouache, pencil and gold leaf on card 6.5 x 20.7 in

  • Study for final balance – stage project,1925 India ink and gouache on cardboard 5.4 x 7.3 in

  • Untitled, C. 1920 Watercolor and india ink on paper 25 x 19 in

  • Study for the Yiddish frontcover , 1924 Ink on paper 10 x 6.9 in

  • Study for the frontcover of « der Hammer » (Le Marteau), 1926 Ink and collage on cardboard 20 x 14.8 in

  • Study for « der Hammer » (Le Marteau), 1926 Ink and collage on cardboard 20 x 14.8 in

  • Stage set - summer theatre, C.1921 Gouache on cardboard 16 x 27.3 in

  • Study for a costume, 1920 Gouache and pencil on cardboard 16.1 x 10 inches

  • Illustration project, C. 1920 Watercolour, indian ink and pencil on paper 17 x 11.9 in

  • Study for a costume – married couple - For the Hupa, 1920 Gouache on cardboard 18.3 x 15 in

  • Study for a costume-danse chinoise1920 Gouache on paper 19.3 x 12.8 inches

  • Study for a costume - Man with talit, 1920 Gouache and pencil on cardboard 48,5 x 36 cm

  • Study for a costume - jewish woman, 1920 Gouache and pencil on paper 20.7 x 10.9 in

  • Study for a costume, C.1930 Gouache and pencil on paper 21 x 17 in

  • Study for a costume - Woman in black, 1920 Gouache and pencil on paper 22 x 15 in

  • Study for a costume, 1925 Gouache and pencil on paper 22 x 18.9 in

  • Study for a costume-day and night, 1924 Pencil and gouache on paper 15.7 x 9.2 in

  • Study for a costume-day and night, 1924 Gouache on cardboard 21.8 x 14 in

  • Study for a costume-day and night, 1924 Gouache on cardboard 21.8 x 14 in

  • Photo des peintures murales,1925 Tirage gélatino-argentique d’époque 16,5 x 21,5 cm

  • Study for Hanukkah Gelt – stage project, 1925 Indian ink on cardboard 5.4 x 7.3 in

  • Study for Hanukkah Gelt – stage project, 1925 Indian ink on cardboard 5.4 x 7.3 in

  • Study for a costume - "L'équilibre finale" - Final balance, 1925 Gouache and pencil on paper 22 x 18.9 in

  • Study for a costume - Final balance, 1925 Gouache on paper 15.5 x 9 in

  • Study for a costume - The tenth commandment, 1926 Gouache on paper 22.2 x 19.9 in

  • Photo from "The tenth commandment", 1926 Silver film print13.2 x 10.2 in

  • Study for a costume - "The tenth commandment", 1920 Gouache and pencil on paper 22 x 15 in

  • Study for a costume - "The tenth commandment", 1920 Gouache and pencil on paper 22 x 15 in

  • Study for a costume - The Tenth Commandment, 1926 Gouache on paper 22.7 x 18 in

  • Study for a costume - The Tenth Commandment, 1926 Gouache on card 66,5 x 52 cm

  • Etude pour un costume - The tenth commandment,1926 Gouache et crayon sur papier 68,5 x 48,5 cm

  • Study for a costume - The tenth commandment, 1926 Gouache and pencil on paper 28 x 19.3 in

  • Study for a costume - The tenth commandment, 1926 Gouache on card 17.7 x 12.8 in

  • Study for a costume - The tenth commandment, 1926 Gouache on paper 21.2 x 14 in

  • Study for a costume - The tenth commandment, 1926 Gouache on paper 21.2 x 14 in

  • Stage set - The tenth commandment, 1926 Gouache on paper 15.7 x 28.1 in

  • Stage set - The tenth commandment, 1926 Gouache on paper 15.7 x 28.1 in

  • Study for a costume - The tenth commandment, 1926 Gouache on paper 28 x 18 in

  • Project for the mural painting in Unzer Theater, 1925 Gouache on paper 20 x 15.5 inches

  • Décor de scène - Bronx Express,1925 Gouache sur carton 18 x 25,5 cm

  • Study for a costume - Tragedy of Nothing – Stage project, 1927 Gouache on card 17.3 x 20.1 in

  • Study for a costume - Final balance, 1926 Gouache on card 20 x 14.9 in

  • Stage set - Stempenyu the Fiddler- The Violoniste, 1929 Gouache and pencil on card 13.2 x 16.7 in

  • Stage set – Golem, 1931 Gouache and pencil on paper 14.2 x 22 in

  • Study for a costume – Golem, 1931 Gouache and pencil on card 16.9 x 9.8 in

  • Study for a costume – Golem, 1929 Gouache and pencil on card 19.7 x 14.4 in

  • Study for a costume – Golem, 1931 Gouache and pencil on paper 22 x 14.2 in

  • Study for a costume – Golem, 1929 Gouache and pencil on card 19.7 x 9.7 in

  • Photo de la piece - day and night,1924 Tirage gélatino-argentique de l'époque 12,5 x 17,7, 13,8 x 18 cm

  • Self portrait, C. 1920 Pencil on paper 14.2 x 11 in

  • Final balance, 1926 Gouache and pencil on card 20 x 14.9 in

  • Project for the costumes of "Le Dixième Commendement - Two Hassidiques", 1926 Gouache and collage on paper 24 x 18 in

  • Project for the circus – Project for "the Highway of Life", 1920 Ink and gouache on paper 20 x 14 in

  • Project for the mural painting in Unzer Teater, 1925 Gouache and gold leaf on paper 24 x 16 inches

  • Untitled, 1917-1919 Indian ink on paper 7 x 7 in

  • Untitled, C. 1917-1919 Indian ink on paper 7 x 11.2 in

  • "Dybbouk", 1917-1919 Indian ink, pencil and watercolour on card 10.7 x 8 in

  • Untitled, C. 1917-1919 Indian ink, gouache and lead pencil on paper glued to tracing paper 9 x 6.1 in

  • C. 1917-1919 Encre de chine et gouache sur papier 18.5 x 14.5 cm

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Encre de chine et gouache sur papier 22,5 x 19 cm (feuille)

  • Sans titre,1917-1919Encre de chine sur papier 23,4 x 24,2 cm

  • Sans titreC. 1917-1919 Encre de chine et gouache sur papier 25,9 x 15,9 cm

  • Untitled, 1917-1919 Indian ink, ink wash and gouache on paper 6.7 x 11 in

  • Sans titreC.1917-1919 Encre de chine sur papier 18.4 x 18.4 cm

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Encre de chine et gouache sur papier 24.5 x 21.6 cm

  • 1917-1919 Encre de chine, lavis d’encre et gouache sur papier ingres 21.9 x 13.7 cm

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Encre de chine, et fixatif sur papier collé sur carton 18,8 x 12,9 cm (motif), 24,6 x 19 cm (carton)

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Encre de chine et gouache sur papier 14.5 x 13.4 cm

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Encre de chine et gouache sur papier 22 x 18.2 cm

  • Sans titre,1917-1919 Encre de chine et gouache sur papier 26.5 x 21 cm

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Encre de chine et gouache sur papier 22 x 26.2 cm

  • Sans titre (recto), 1917-1919 Encre de chine et gouache sur papier 14.5 x 16.5 cm

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Encre de chine et gouache sur papier 22.5 x 18.7 cm

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Carbone et encre de chine sur papier 22,5 x 23,5 cm

  • 1917-1919 Encre de chine sur papier 24.1 x 19.8 cm

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Bois gravé sur papier 24.1 x 19.8 cm

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Bois gravé sur papier 20.5 x 15.5 cm

  • Sans titre, 1924-25 Encre de Chine et mine de graphite sur papier 25.8 x 20.2 cm

  • Sans titre verso, 1917-1919 Encre de Chine et gouache sur papier 15,2 x 28,9 cm (feuille)

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Encre de Chine et gouache sur papier 13 x 19 cm

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Encre de Chine sur papier 18.6 x 14.9 cm

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Encre de Chine sur papier 12.6 x 17.6 cm

  • Sans titre (illustration pour le conte de l'ours),1917-1919 Encre de Chine sur papier 15.5 x 18 cm

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Encre de Chine sur papier 17.9 x 28.5 cm

  • Sans titre et bis, 1917-1919 Encre de Chine sur papier 16,4 x 28 cm (feuille)

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Bois gravé sur papier 22.5 x 30.3 cm

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Bois gravé sur papier 32 x 23 cm

  • Sans titre, 1924 Bois gravé sur papier 31 x 23 cm

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Mine de graphite sur papier 31 x 23 cm

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Mine de graphite, encre de Chine et gouache sur papier 21.7 x 27.2 cm

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Encre de Chine sur papier 25 x 33 cm

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Encre de chine et plomb de blanc sur papier 29 x 20.5 cm

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Encre de chine sur papier 29.2 x 22.6 cm

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Reproduction 22.6 x 29.6 cm

  • Sans titre, 1917-1919 Encre de Chine sur papier 15,3 x 14,7 cm

  • Sans titre versoVoir recto.

  • Sans titre rectoEncre de Chine et gouache sur papier 15,2 x 28,9 cm (feuille)

  • Project for the costume of the devil in day and night, for Unzer Teater, 1924 Gouache on card 16 x 8.2 in

  • Etude pour un costume,1920 Collage, gouache et crayon sur carton 50 x 37 cm

  • Study for a costume - Lilith, 1920 Gouache and pencil on card 20.3 x 14.8 in

  • Photo des peintures murales "Unzer Teater",1925 Tirage gélatino-argentique 12 x 17 cm

  • Photo des peintures murales,1925 Tirage gélatino-argentique d’époque 16 x 21 cm

  • Photo de la piece - day and night,1924 Tirage gélatino-argentique d’époque12,5 x 17,7, 13,8 x 18 cm

  • Photo de la piece - day and night,1925 Tirage gélatino-argentique d’époque 12,5 x 17,7 cm

  • Décor de scène - GolemGouache sur carton 68 x 56 cm

  • Study for a costume - Tragedy of Nothing, 1927 Gouache on card 19.5 x 14.2 in

  • Stage project for Angels on Earth, 1929 Gouache on paper 33 x 46 cm

  • Study for a costume – Golem, 1931 Gouache and pencil on paper 22 x 14.2 in

Son of the chief rabbi of kyiv, from 1912 to 1916, after the heder, he attended the kyiv School of Art and the drawing school of Alexander Mourashko. In 1917-1918, he attended the studio of Alexandra Exter, who would strongly influence his work for the theater. Before the First World War, he became friends with young modernist Jewish writers and painters belonging to the Kiev group, and became one of the most ardent defenders of their theory advocating the need to create a new Jewish culture that would be carried by Yiddish. From 1918 to 1920, he was one of the major figures of the Kultur-Lige, for which he founded a museum of Jewish art. In 1919, in collaboration with Ryback, he published in the Yiddish magazine Oyfgang, “The Ways of Jewish Painting”, one of the first manifestos of avant-garde Jewish art. At the end of 1920, he left for Moscow, where he worked for Jewish theaters, in particular for the Kamerny. In 1922, he settled in Berlin and studied in the studio of the engraver Hermann Struck; he participated in the exhibition of Russian art at the van Diemen gallery. He then published the books of Marc Chagall and Sovremennaïa Evreïskaîa Grafika. In Paris, where he then stayed, he made the sketches and costumes for the Danses Assidics by Baruch Agadati. In 1923, he settled in New York where he became chief theater designer, notably for Maurice Schwartz’s Kunst-theater. From 1930, he worked for Broadway theatres: he staged a hundred dramatic shows, operas, ballets and musicals; his style, which mixed cubo-futurism and constructivism, renewed American scenography. He became one of the most prominent theatre designers on Broadway (he would win 2 Tony Awards).

PUBLICATIONS

PRESSE

January 9, 2016 / “How Boris Aronson’s Designs Came To Life”, The Jewish Week, le 4 déc. 2015

December 22, 2015 / “The Works of Yiddish Set Designer Boris Aronson”, Tablet Magazine, le 21 déc. 2015

EXPOSITIONS

Sonate : Boris Aronson & Rainier Lericolais

New York’s Yiddish Theater : From the Bowery to Broadway