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Mark Podwal

マーク・ポドワル

Mark Podwal

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1945-06-08 （Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.）
Died
2024-09-13 （Harrison, New York, U.S.） age 79
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Religion
Judaism
Residence History
Flushing, Queens, New York → Brooklyn, New York → Harrison, New York

Career

Occupations
artist, author, filmmaker, physician
Active Years
1971-2024
Affiliations
New York University Grossman School of Medicine (Adjunct Associate Professor of Dermatology)

Education

Queens College, City University of New York
Country: United States
New York University Grossman School of Medicine
School of Medicine / Dermatology
Degree: MD
Country: United States
Pursued an artistic career in parallel with medical practice

Awards

American Book Awards
1984
Organization: American Book Awards
Result: 受賞
The Society of Newspaper Design Award
1989
Organization: The Society for News Design
Result: 受賞
Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
1993
Organization: French Republic
Result: 受章
Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
1996
Organization: French Republic
Result: 受章
National Jewish Book Award (Children's Picture Book)
1998
Work: You Never Know: A Legend of the Lamed-vavniks (illustrator)
Category: Children's Picture Book
Organization: Jewish Book Council (National Jewish Book Awards)
Result: 受賞
Society of Illustrators Silver Medal
1999
Organization: Society of Illustrators
Result: 受賞
Aesop Prize and Aesop Accolades
1999
Organization: American Folklore Society
Result: 受賞
Doctor of Humane Letters Honoris Causa
2003
Organization: Hebrew College
Result: 授与
Smithsonian Notable Book for Children
2009
Organization: Smithsonian
Result: 選出
New York University Grossman School of Medicine Alumnus Award (Medicine in the Humanities)
2010
Organization: New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Result: 受賞
Foundation for Jewish Culture Achievement Award
2011
Organization: Foundation for Jewish Culture
Result: 受賞
Victoria and Albert Museum Print of the Month
2012
Organization: Victoria and Albert Museum
Result: 選出
Gratias Agit Award
2019
Organization: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Czech Republic)
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

A Jewish Bestiary

1984 Illustrated collection

An illustrated collection depicting fabulous creatures from Hebraic legend and Jewish folklore, blending tradition with imagination.

Jewish folklorelegendreligious symbolism
Translations
  • Jüdisches Bestiarium

Jerusalem Sky

2005 Children's book / Illustration

An illustrated book depicting Jerusalem from a child's perspective, connected to an educational project that brings children of different faiths together.

coexistenceinterfaith dialogueurban memory

Reimagined: 45 Years of Jewish Art

2016 Monograph / Art book 374 pages

A retrospective monograph collecting 45 years of Podwal's Jewish-themed art, including prints, watercolors, and drawings.

memory of historyJewish culturereimagining images

Kaddish for Dąbrowa Białostocka

2018 Memorial / Commemorative work

A body of work focused on Jewish memory and loss in a particular town, produced as both artworks and an exhibition catalogue.

Holocaust memorycommemorationlocal history

Bibliography

  • The Decline and Fall of the American Empire (1971)
  • A Book of Hebrew Letters (1978)
  • A Jewish Bestiary (1984)
  • The Book of Tens (1994)
  • Golem: A Giant Made of Mud (1995)
  • The Menorah Story (1998)
  • A Sweet Year (2003)
  • Jerusalem Sky (2005)
  • Doctored Drawings (2007)
  • Built by Angels (2009)
  • Reimagined: 45 Years of Jewish Art (2016)
  • Kaddish for Dąbrowa Białostocka (2018)
  • A Collage of Customs (2021)

Adaptations

  • HOUSE OF LIFE: The Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague (documentary, 2009)
  • My Synagogue is in Prague: Picturing Mark Podwal (2013, Czech Television)
  • ALL THIS HAS COME UPON US: Mark Podwal's Art for Terezin (2015, Czech Television)

Translations of Works

  • Jüdisches Bestiarium (German edition)
  • Hebrew Melodies (illustrated edition of Heinrich Heine's poems)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
line-based illustrative styleuse of watercolor and print techniques with a lyrical qualitylayered presentation of religious and historical motifs
Recurring Motifs
animals (fabulous creatures)scriptural and ritual motifsplaces of memory such as Prague and Jewish cemeteries

Health

  • cancer
    2024
    Affected his health in later life; died in 2024

Legacy

Podwal was a prolific artist and illustrator focused on Jewish tradition and memory; his works are held by major museums and memorial institutions worldwide. He combined a medical career with art and contributed to educational and commemorative projects.

Museums

  • Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, United States
  • Victoria and Albert Museum London, United Kingdom
  • Israel Museum Jerusalem, Israel
  • National Gallery in Prague Prague, Czech Republic
  • Jewish Museum Berlin Berlin, Germany

Archives

  • United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (collection)
  • Library of Congress (collection)
  • Yad Vashem (collection)
  • Bodleian Library (collection)
  • British Library (collection)

In Popular Culture

  • Widely known for illustrations published on The New York Times Op-Ed page
  • Intersected with popular culture through limited-edition designs for the Metropolitan Opera and museum merchandise

Quotes

  • "All the earned and admiring praise – wondrous, luminous, magical – cannot catch the fierce bite, healthy spirit, and sheer joyousness of this superb book."
    Source: Maurice Sendak (praise for Jerusalem Sky) (2005)
  • "Master of the True Line"
    Source: Cynthia Ozick (introduction, 2016) (2016)

Trivia

  • Maintained a parallel career as a dermatologist while working as a prolific artist and illustrator.
  • Contributed imagery used for a Congressional Gold Medal presented to Elie Wiesel.
  • Designed decorative plates for the Metropolitan Museum of Art that became bestsellers.
  • Created series addressing Holocaust memory, including works for Terezin and projects related to Prague's Jewish heritage.