Menachem Gueffen

Painter Menachem Gueffen was born to Polish parents in 1930 in the city of Haifa, then administered under the British Mandate, in what is now Israel.

From 1949-53 he studied at Bezalel Art School, Jerusalem; and from 1959-63 at the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris. His work is figurative and primarily based on the figure of Woman. Gueffen works in large format, primarily in oils on canvas. His latest works are Collage, oil and sack on natural canvas, jute or wood. He produces many drawings, and works essentially from sketches of models. He has also illustrated certain books: 'Robinson Crusoe' published by the Israeli publisher Amoved in the 1960s and he provided the illustrations for 'The World's Best Jewish Jokes' by Ben Eliezer, published in 1984.

From 1967-1988 he lived and worked in London in Europe and the United States. He currently lives and works in France. Gueffen's works are in private collections worldwide. His work appears in auction in Europe and Israel. The Museum of Natural History of New York commissioned a work of five paintings by Gueffen depicting the "Life and Cycle of Judaism". His works are predominantly of women and his style has been described as "figurative-expressionist."

However, the impact of the meeting with 'Rembrandt's Night Watch' was a force which spanned some 20 years and culminated in 'Dialogue with Rembrandt's Night watch', a work of 9 paintings. The medium collage: oil applied by the fingers onto sack and Jute.

Gueffen is a listed artist in the Dictionnaire E. Benezit editions 1976 and 1999 and the equivalent Italian dictionary, Commanducci. Benezit describes his work as expressionist-figurative.

Gueffen was married to Diana Rigg from 1973 to 1976. He married Judy Hillman in 1987and since 1991 they have been based in France.