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My Family by Reuven Rubin

My Family

Reuven Rubin · 1949

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“This painting offers a warm, sun-drenched glimpse into Reuven Rubin's personal world, capturing an intimate family portrait that blends self-representation with domestic tenderness.”

ABOUT THIS WORK

In this tender family portrait from 1949, Reuven Rubin captures a moment of quiet domesticity. The artist places himself at the center, holding a paintbrush and palette, drawing us into his creative world. His wife, Esther, sits beside him, their hands gently clasped, while their two young children engage with the scene. The warm, sun-drenched palette, characteristic of Rubin's work from this period, imbues the painting with a sense of peace and intimacy. This work reflects the artist's personal life after his return to Palestine in the 1920s, where he became a key figure in developing a new Eretz-Yisrael style, often depicting the local landscape and people. Here, the focus shifts inward, celebrating the personal landscape of his own family.

DETAILS
Artist
Reuven Rubin
Date
1949
Medium
Oil on canvas
Location
Rubin Museum
Culture
United States
LOOK CLOSER

What to Notice

Five details hide in plain sight. Pick one and we’ll show you exactly where to look.

My Family

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01

Mother's blank face

Look at the mother's face, left of center. It is left almost blank, with hair and a hint of a chin but no eyes or mouth, so she reads more as a quiet presence than a portrait.

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02

Standing girl in coral

The girl in the coral dress leans into her mother's arm. Her white stockings lead your eye from the bottom edge up into the embrace.

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03

The doll's bright eyes

The doll-like child in the lap has blue eyes and red lips, the most sharply detailed face in the picture. It draws your eye away from the blank faces nearby.

3 of 5 on the painting
04

Purple skirt and lap

The mother's purple skirt is painted in broad, flat patches. Its deep color anchors the middle of the canvas against all the green.

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05

Striped awning

A scalloped green and cream awning runs across the top of the canvas. It frames the family like a canopy over the landscape beyond.

5 of 5 on the painting
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THE ARTIST

Reuven Rubin

1893–1974 · Romania

Pioneering Israeli painter who captured sun-drenched Jerusalem landscapes and became Israel's first diplomat to Romania.

Read Rubin’s full story
MORE FROM THIS ARTIST

Further Works by Rubin

1 / 2
The Tailor The Tailor 1918 · Rubin Museum Olive Picking Olive Picking 1967 · Rubin Museum Moses and the Burning Bush Moses and the Burning Bush 1923 · Israel Museum Oil painting Oil painting 1957 · Heichal Shlomo Self Portrait Self Portrait 1921 · Rubin Museum
KEEP EXPLORING

More works to explore

Beyond Rubin: works from the same years.

Greyed Rainbow Same era · 1930s–1960s Greyed Rainbow Jackson Pollock · 1953 · Art Institute of Chicago Sun Spot Same era · 1930s–1960s Sun Spot Yayoi Kusama · 1953 · Art Institute of Chicago Deux personnages Same era · 1930s–1960s Deux personnages Pierre Alechinsky · 1950 Impregnazione Same era · 1930s–1960s Impregnazione Piero Manzoni · 1958 Essai Same era · 1930s–1960s Essai Sam Francis · 1963 · Art Institute of Chicago The Jester Same era · 1930s–1960s The Jester Philip Evergood · 1950 · Whitney Museum of American Art The Temptation of St. Anthony Same era · 1930s–1960s The Temptation of St. Anthony Ivan Puni · 1945 · Art Institute of Chicago Nighthawks Same era · 1930s–1960s Nighthawks Okada Saburosuke · 1942 · Art Institute of Chicago
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