By COLlive reporter
The oil on canvas painting titled “From Chaslavitch to Lubavitch” which depicts a group of Chassidim traveling to their Rebbe on a flying horse and buggy, has become engrained in Chassidic imagery.
That painting by the late Zalman Kleinman has attained another status this week – one of the priciest paintings sold created by a frum artist.
The painting, one of the most famous works of Kleinman, portrays a group of ten Chassidim traveling from Chaslavitch (Khislavichi) in a horse-drawn wagon, flying in the air, making their way to their rebbe in the Russian town of Lubavitch.
Reproductions of this painting were printed, and are still being printed in countless books and publications, and decorate various Judaica items. This painting is often perceived as depicting the miraculous trips of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of Chassidism.
It was first painted by Kleinman, a Lubavitcher chossid living in Crown Heights, in 1983 and was purchased directly from the artist by the Stern family of Scarsdale, New York. They put it up for auction with a starting bid of $100,000. It was sold to an unknown buyer for $480,000.
“This is a historical moment in the frum art world,” commented Moshe Frank of the Leviim Art Gallery in Crown Heights who followed the sale but was not involved in it. “To my recollection, a frum artist has never sold a painting for over $100,000 at auction,” he told COLlive.com.
Kleinman (1933-1995) produced talented portrayals of Chassidic life, and his works adorn the homes of many Chabad Chassidim in the United States, Israel and worldwide. His paintings reflect the spirit of Chabad Chassidus – davening, study of Chassidus, farbrengens, traveling to the rebbe, and more; and include themes of Chassidic joy and humor.
In a letter from 9 Elul 1957 (Igeret 5721), the Lubavitcher Rebbe suggested to Kleinman to publish an album of drawings depicting life in the Kfar Chabad village and even promised to provide funding for the project. The Rebbe instructed him to draw “without embellishment and even without artistic embellishment… The main point… is that the illustrations appear in their simplicity, as they actually are…”
Upon the Rebbe’s instructions, Kleinman documented Chassidic life of Kfar Chabad in its early days, in many paintings. Elder Chassidim of Kfar Chabad can still recognize in some of Kleinman’s paintings the village as it was in the early 1950s, with its colorful personalities, its houses and shacks, and its muddy streets.
Kleinman’s paintings also dealt with more general Jewish topics – scenes from the Torah and Pesach Haggadah, Hachnassas Sefer Torah, Kiddush Levanah, Yom Kippur, and more. He also painted landscapes and portraits. His paintings are full of life and color, draw inspiration from day-to-day life, and faithfully document the environment in which he lived and operated.
I’ve heard from Chassidim in Kfar who hosted Zalman when he left Russia that this painting has nothing to do about the Baal Shem Tov, it has to show what level a Jew can accomplish when they fabreng and drink compared to the Goy (look at the bottom right of the picture of the drunk in the mud)
Correct. The title of the picture is “from chaslavitch to Lubavitch”. It depicts the trip from chaslavitch, which was a town heavily populated by Chabad in the late 1800s, to lubavitch, where all the rebbeim from the mitteler rebbe onwards lived. All these are a significant amount of time after the Baal Shem tov
A resident of Crown Heights has one other original or the same scene. I believe even nicer that this one.
Captures the radiance and energy as chassidim “foren tzum Rebben” from the Baal Shemtov and on thru our Rebbe.
This painting is titled “from chaslaviych to lubavitch”. It depicts chassidim going to the rebbe, while they are lifted from “blotteh” /mud roads of everyday life by the mashpia sharing chassidus/ a story, aided with a bottle of Lchaim. The artist contrasts this with the other bottle held by the peasant drinking on his own sitting in the mud at the bottom of the painting…
Regardless of the beauty of this painting, which is undebatable.
The baal Shem tov was never known to fly, but his בעל העגלה would fall asleep and the horses will stop where the besh”t wanted to go.
I say this because someone once told me “I don’t believe in the flying horse of the baal Shem tov”
Are the copies worth anything? We have this painting at home from Crown Heights but I assume at this point not the original.
Are worth whatever they are selling for in the gallery. Maybe $100