Elhanan Halpern Abstract cityscape Northern Israel, Kinneret Lake, Galilee, Tiberias Hand signed lower left in Hebrew Bears label in Hebrew verso, handwritten English inscription. Circa 1950's Dimensions: 32.5 X 24.5 framed. Image is 27.5 X 19.75 Elhanan Halpern, born 1914, Gunionadz, Poland. A founder of "the Group of Ten"; 1963-67 elected to UNESCO International Painters Organization's steering committee; 1962-77 Chairman of Israeli Artists Association; His family immigrated to Israel when he was a child . Halpern was one of the founders Abba Ahimeir “Brit Habiryonim” a faction of the Revisionist Zionist Movement, and a member of the underground. In 1953 Halpern left Israel to study art in Paris, upon his return Halpern became a founder of Israel’s Group of Ten, aimed at giving an international focus to Israeli art. The "Group of Ten" (HaAsara) was an influential collective of Israeli artists formed in 1951. They emerged as a response to the "New Horizons" (Ofakim Hadashim) movement, which favored abstract art; instead, the Group of Ten focused on figurative art, local landscapes, and the everyday reality of the young state of Israel. Members of the Group of Ten (1951) included Eliyahu Gat, Shoshana Levison, Moshe Propes, Zvi Tadmor, Ephraim Lifshitz, Elchanan Halpern, Claire Yaniv, Nissan Rilov, Simon Zabar, Dan Kedar While "New Horizons" looked toward European abstraction, ( Artists such as Yohanan Simon, Marcel Janco, Avigdor Stematsky, Moshe Castel and Yehezkel Streichman). the Group of Ten sought a "local" style, often using earth tones and depicting social or pastoral scenes. Their work is frequently exhibited by the Israel Museum. In 1960 the artist received the prestigious Dizengoff Prize. Elhanan Halpern died in Tel Aviv in 1995. Teaching 1978–88 Painting, Avni Institute, Tel Aviv 1978–88 Painting, Art Teachers' Training College, Ramat Hasharon Awards And Prizes 1960 Dizengoff Prize for Painting and Sculpture 1968 Bat Yam Art Prize Exhibition, Art in Israel Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv 1954 Artists: Irene Awret, Arieh Allweil, Kathe Ephraim-Marcus, Aharon Avni, Menahem Shemi, Isidor Aschheim, Naftali Bezem, Ludwig Blum, Aliza Bak, Yosl Bergner, Marcel Janco, Moshe Mokady, Aviva Margalit Mambush, Aryeh Merzer, Avigdor Stematsky, Eliyahu Sigad, Israel Paldi, Esther Peretz Arad, Yehiel Krize, Ruth Schloss, Bezalel Schatz, (Lilik) Zahara Schatz, Louise Schatz, Azriel Awret, Loebel Ya'acov, David Palombo, Yehiel Shemi, Elhanan Hal