Ruth Schloss

Ruth Schloss (1922-2013) was an Israeli artist.

Ruth Schloss was born in 1922, in Nuremberg, Germany. Schloss immigrated to the Land of Israel with her family and settled in K'far Shmaryahu in 1937. At the end of the 1930s, she studied in the "New Bezalel" in Jerusalem. Schloss took classes there and was taught by Mordechai Ardon, among other famous artists.

Throughout the 1940s, Schloss was active in pioneering kibbutz frameworks of "HaShomer HaTzair.” In 1943, Schloss joined Kibbutz Merhavia. Two years later, she settled in Lehavot HaBashan.

In 1951, Schloss married Binyamin Cohen. In 1952, they were forced to leave kibbutz Lehavot HaBashan following a political dispute. Schloss and Cohen moved to her parents' farm in Kfar Shmaryahu. Schloss lived there until she died in 2013.

Schloss began painting at the studio she opened in Jaffa (1962-1983). Her early works were mostly ink drawings and watercolor on paper. These drawings have become her trademark. Her paintings were in the style of Socialist Realism, which flourished at the time among Israeli painters such as Shraga Weil and John Simon. These artists were influenced by the Socialist and Communist movements occurring worldwide. Additionally, Schloss illustrated a number of children's books and issues of the newspapers "Al HaMishmar" and "Mishmar LeYeladim.”

Throughout the years, Schloss stuck to figurative painting. Her subjects were usually conveyed those who were weaker, oppressed, deprived and discriminated against. This included a variety of subjects - from children, the elderly, women, refugees and animals.

Until 2012, Schloss painted large works in acrylic on canvas. Over the years, her paintings became more expressive. However, the subjects in the paintings remain the same. Schloss continued to focus on similar topics and depict similar subjects despite her expressive techniques.

• 1965 Silver Medal, International exhibition in Leipzig, Germany
• 1977 Artist-in-Residence, The Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris

• 1938-41 Bezalel, Jerusalem, with Mordecai Ardon.
• 1946 painting course for Kibbutz Artzi artists with Yohanan Simon and Marcel Janco.
• 1949-51 Académie de la Grande Chaumière, Paris.