Iser, Josif

Born May 21, 1881, in Bucharest; died there Apr. 25, 1958. Rumanian painter and graphic artist. People’s Artist of the Socialist Republic of Rumania (1954); member of the Rumanian Academy (1955).

Iser studied at the Academy of Arts in Munich from 1899 to 1904. He was a student at the Ranson Academy in Paris in 1908 and 1909. His work includes condemnatory antimonarchical drawings and political caricatures, such as Carol I (india ink and watercolor, 1913). Among Iser’s paintings are Landscape in Do-bruja (1918), Tatar Family (1936), and Harlequin—all three are in the Museum of Art of the SRR in Bucharest. Iser’s work is notable for its free brushwork and rich, active colors.