erman Wald (1906-1970) was born into an erhaps the most popular public sculpture in all of , Stampede: The HOrthodox Jewish family in what was once Impala Fountain was commissioned from Wald as a public memorial to the late known – before the First World War – as Austria- PErnest Oppenheimer. Intended to reintroduce ‘nature’ into the soulless, built Hungary. After studying sculpture successively in environment of the CBD, it consists of 18 bronze impalas leaping in Budapest, Vienna, , and London, he a continuous, graceful arc over jets of water. The dynamic movement of the impalas emigrated to South Africa in 1937. While there would seem to have been inspired by a number of possible modern sources, ranging are a number of 20th-century sculptors of Eastern from sequential motion photography and Italian to cinematic animation. In European Jewish origin like , Herbert many ways Wald considered this to be his most successful work, appealing to artistic Meyerowitz, and Solly Disner who laymen and art experts alike. Restored in 2002 by the late artist’s son Michael, have been recognised as important South African this fountain-piece has now been relocated outside the Anglo American Building in artists, Wald’s story has so far remained untold. His Main Street, Johannesburg. obscurity seems ironic and surprising since he was the originator of a number of Moses iconic public sculptures which are indelibly imprinted on the popular imagination oses – the singularly most important of the Hebrew prophets – obsessed in South Africa. Yet very few people are familiar with his name. “Unconditionally acclaimed by child, adult Herman Wald a great deal. The prohibition of the Second Commandment or connoisseur … [a work] unbound by time, Magainst “graven images” was something that Wald sought to interrogate. nlike most of the other practitioners of the art of sculpture in this country, Since the Ten Commandments, he argued, had been carved on tablets of stone: fashion or ‘isms’” Wald never had the luxury of a teaching post which would have enabled him they were both three-dimensional and monumental, qualifying in an ironic sense Herman Wald, on his sculpture Stampede: The to support himself and his family while exploring an independent direction in his as enduring works of art in themselves. Moses was thus, in a way, the very fi rst Impala Fountain, 1960 work. While schooled in in Britain and Europe, he often had to adopt Jewish sculptor. Wald even went so far as to state his belief that too literal an more naturalistic approaches interpretation of the Second Commandment had led to a diminishment of Jewish to suit a wide range of clients cultural life. and their demands. Modernism in art was not appreciated by South Africans and he was often forced to compromise his creativity, especially when it came to portraiture. The confl ict between Wald’s identity as a Jewish sculptor and the prohibition of the Second Commandment against the making of any ‘graven image’ led him to adopt a polemical stance to Orthodox Jewish thought on the issue.

famous landmark, Wald’s Diamond Diggers’ hen Herman Wald was in England between onument to the Six Million, which stands in Fountain is synonymous with the city of Kim- 1933 and 1937, he encountered the work Johannesburg’s Westpark Cemetery, is a A berley, South Africa’s diamond-mining mecca. Wof the Vorticists, who had earlier used a Mmajor engineering achievement in bronze. Situated in its Ernest Oppenheimer Memorial Gardens, fusion of and Italian Futurism to create a It is recognised world-wide as a major monument to it consists of fi ve life-size mine workers in bronze, each mechanised vision of the human form, partly as a the Holocaust of the of Europe. Six fi sts, each personifying a principal mine in the area. Arms raised dark comment on the mechanisation of killing in the symbolising a million of the dead, emerge from the in unison, they support a huge diamond sieve through First World War. Wald adopted this aesthetic in a earth, each holding a ram’s horn trumpet (Shofar) which a single jet of water rises. Referencing the number of his own works. Unity is Strength, a public through which they cry out the Commandment: concept of the heroised worker seen in monumental commission for a building society, embodies Wald’s ‘Thou shalt not kill’. The monument was close to public sculptures in Communist Eastern Europe, Wald vision for South Africa: of the diff erent races pulling Wald’s heart and he and his wife Vera lie buried next bends this visual rhetoric to the praise of capitalism. together for a better future. to it.

Cover of a 1974 vinyl record cover showing Cantor Shlomo Mandel in front of the Aron Hakodesh of the Berea Synagogue. Photo: Paul Vink

ings of the Schechinah: the Sculptural Art of Herman Wald tells the story of an artist who contested orthodox interpretations of the W Second Commandment against ‘graven images’, but who, at the same time, produced expressions of Jewish spirituality of a high order in his synagogue commissions. The huge wings of beaten copper he made in 1967 stand within the ancient sculptural tradition of Bezalel, who was tasked by Moses to make the Holy Ark of the Covenant. Diamond Diggers’ Fountain Unity is Strength Monument to the Six Million ike many of the modern sculptors assedassed (1939) is a work that Wald ald’s ‘African’ works form only a small that he encountered in his wanderings made in South Africa as a warning part of his artistic output. Like many artists L as a student in Europe,Europe, Wald was Gagainst a repeat of the horrors of Wof European origin, he felt the attraction preoccupied with sculptural approaches to the First World War (1914-1918), when of the so-called ‘exotic’ when he came to Africa. the human form. During the four years he poison gas was used as a weapon in trench Attracted by the colour and qualityquality of local South spent in England (1933-1937), he became warfare. This contorted human fi gure, African hardwoods, he carved a number of pieces familiar with the work of three important made in February of 1939, prophesied the on African themes, with highly-polished surfaces sculptors: , and outbreak of war in September. It was a war and fl owing concavities, such as MoMotherther and Child Frank Dobson. Virtually all of Wald’s works that would lead to the Holocaust of the IIII (1955-65). The latter approximates the totemic prproducedoduced in EuroEuropepe have been lost and Jews of EuroEuropepe and the murder of Wald’s quality of European prehistoric objects that he had we only know of them from photographs. Hungarian family at Auschwitz. In some MaManyny of these have been included in this ways Gassedd prefi gures Wald’s other works seen in European museums. Apart from carving exhibition to give visitors some idea of the that deal – either directly or through literary techniques, Wald also tackled African subjects using scope and range of his work. It is perhaps allusion – with the Holocaust. Works such as modelling and casting techniques, as Mother and Child III BiBBirthrth off aann IdIdeaeae this range and diversity that critics perceived JoJobb andand CainCain relate this, as does of course in works such as Zulu Protector as a weakness rather than a strength. his Monument to the Six MillionMillion. (1968-69). Here, once again, bstraction bsttrar cttioon wawwass doddominantomim nant ttrendrer ndd wwithitth ththehe ininternationalteternrnattionanal avaavantgardevana tgt arrded iinn ththehe 191950s95050s Torsos Gassed hihiss evevocationocation of tthehe andandn 60s60ss whenwhhen WaldWaW ld waswass mostmoso t activeaca tit vev aass a scssculptor.ullptorr. LiLLikekee mmanyanany practisingpracctitisis ngng totemic seems strongly A ssculptorscuculppttors hhee opoptedpted to wworkork inn a vvarietyara ieetyty ooff fi gugurativeurar titivev sstyles,tyles,s wwithitth ocooccasionalcacasisionnala rotic and literary themes abound in Wald’s work, and in this sense it can be in evidence. foforaysrar ys iintontnto ababstraction.straction. TTheheh llatterattteer ononlyly rreallyeally totookok pplacelacee llateatte in hhisis llife,ife,e bbetweenetweeenen seen as beingbeing partpart of the SySymbolistmbolist tradition in EurEuropeanopean art, which was little c.cc.1968199668 aandnd 11970.970. WWorksorks ssuchuch as BiBBirthrth of aann IdIIdeaea, TêTTêtêtêê à ttêtêêttê aandnd wwereere alaalll prproducedodducuceded understood or appreciated in South Africa. In Wald’s work the human body E jujustustst bbeforeefeforo e hihhiss unuuntimelytimeely ddeatheae tht aatt thethe agaagee ofo 64.64.4 TheyThey evidenceeveviddennce hishis experimentationexperimmenenttatit onn becomes a vehicle for spirituality and abstraction; a merging and interpenetration wiwithithth ttechniquesecechnhniqi ues susuchuchc aass cecceramicramic slslip-castingip-castingg aandndd rresinese inn ccasting.asstingg. ThTTheyeyey hhaveava e sesseldom,elddomom, of male and female. This is especially seen in his Man and his Soul, The Lovers and ifif eever,vever, bbeeneee n exexhibitedhibbiteed in ppublicubliic bebefore.fof re. most remarkably in La Femme. The latter, a late work, is reminiscent of the highly abstract yet allusive work of Constantin Brancusi. It is highly phallic, but at the same time unmistakably female.

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electedelecteted foforr inclusioninclusion ono tthehe exhibitionexhx ibitioon off thethee SoSouthututh AfricanAfrican AcAcademycademy in 11944,944,4 RRussianusu sis ana GiGGirlrlr iiss ononene of tthehe ffewew ssurvivinguru viv viv ng wworksoro ksk bbyy WaWaldldd MaMManan anandd hihhiss SoSSoulul S caccarvedrvrvedd iinn mammarble.rble. ItItss ididealisedealised fefeaturesata uru ese ooff whwwhathata seseemseemms tot bbee a woworkerorkere ppeasanteaasant ggirlirl rerrecallcac ll ttheheh sspiritpiriit of SocialistSocialist RRealismeae liismm ppredominantredod minantt iinn offi ciccialal RRussianusu sis ana LaL FemmeFememmeme arartt underunded r StalinStalin aatt thethhe time,time, bebestst rrepresentedeppresentn ed bbyy ththee n 19195195151 WaldWalald waswawas commissionedcoommm isissiiono edd ttoo carvecacarvr e a chcchoirhoio r scsscreenreeenn ffororo a nneweeww ssynagogueynynagagooggueu iinn woworkorkk ofof thethe sculptorsculptoro VeraVera Mukhina.Mukhk ina. TThishih s opoptimisticptimisttici SpSSprings.priringngss. TThishih s wawwasas ththehe fi rsrrstst ofof hhisisis llarge-scaleara geg -sscacalele rreligiouseleliggiousus wworks.oro ksk . TThThehe ccocommissionommmmisissis oon wwasasa anandd ididealisticdeaalil sticc ssocialistoco iai listt iidealded ala wwasasa aalsolso emembracedbracced bbyy Isissignifi gnnififi ccantana t andannd symbolicsyymbm ololicic inin personalpep rsono ala termsterms asas it remindedreemminded d himhihim ofof thetheh diffidiffiiffi cultiescuculltties heh ththee fafarmer-workerrmere -woro kek r sessettlersettleerss wwhohoh fl oockedckked ttoo IsIIsraelsraael hahadd asas a youthyouo th iinn cocconvincingnvvini cic ngn hhisis RRabbiabbib ffatherata heher off hhisis ddecisionececisisioion too bbecomeece omome a scssculptor.cululptptoro . whwhenhenn itit waswwas foundedfofounded in 1948.1948.8 ThisThih s accountsaca coc untst forforr He wwasas aalsolsl o an aaccomplishedccc ommplp isshed sissingeringgerr aandndd hhadadd ssungunung bebbehindhih nd mmanyanany sussuchchch cchoirhoh iri sscreenscreeeensns ththee perceivedpepercrceie ved sissignifignnifii cancecancee ofof thisthhis workworo k inn thethe earlyearly inn EEuropeanuropopeae n syssynagogues.nagoogug ess. DeDesignedsis gnedd ffororo aann ararchitecturalrchhiti ecctuuraral sessetting,ettttining,g tthehee ccentralenentrrala ssubjectububjectct ooff 191950s,5050s,s whenwhen itt waswass usedused onon thethee covercovere ooff ththehe SaSSanctumanctut m iiss an apotheosisedapop thheosiseed seven-branchedses veven-n brrana chheded MeMenorahnon raah candlestick,canndld esstiickck, withwiw thh thethehe tabletstabableletss ofof mammagazine,agagaziz nen , JeJJewishwishs AAffff aiairsirss. ththee TeTTenn Commandments.Commm anandmd ene tss. RuRussianssian GiGirlrll Photography:Ph Jac de Villiers h ot og g ra a ph

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n 1919595959 WWaldalald hehheldldd aann exeexhibitionxhih bibititioonn eentitlednttittleed ‘T‘TheThehe BBibleibble iinn ScSSculpture’ulptturree’ iinn JoJJohannesburg.ohahannnnesesbuburgr . ththehe ththemeeme off ttraditionalraaditit oonnala JJewisheewwisi h lillife,fefe, lalargelyarrgele y babbasedases d ono hhisis mmemoriesememoro iees off hhisiss e A rs r Inn mmanyanany wawwaysys iitt wwawasas a prprojectojo ecct thtthathatat wwentennt agagainstgaiinsn t mommodernistded rnnisist prpprecepts,ece eppts, whwhichicch hahadad childhoodchc ildhood ini Hungary.Hunngaryy. AlthoughAlA thhouough Wald’sWala d’ds rabbinicalrarabbbbinnicala familyfamamili y waswwas fairlyfairrly prosperous,pror sps ererouo s,, thetheh Iabaabandonedbanndod nen d liliteraryteraaryry oorr mommoralorar l ththemesheemmeses iinn arart.rtt. HHee wawwass nonotot aalalonelone inn tthishih s asa MMarcara c JewishJeewiishh communitycommum nin tyy ofof whichwhw icich itt waswasa a partparart wawwass a hhihighlyighhlyy ddiverseiverse oone,nee, ofoftenften ata ooddsddd s wiwwiththt ChChagall,agagall,, fforor example,exampplele, hadhah d alsoalalsoso setset himselfhimmseselff thethee tasktasa k ofof illustratingilllluustrrattinng scenesscscenness fromfrorom theththe itselfitseelff overovev r mammatterstterrs off ttheologyheh olo ogogy anaandnd thtthehe iniinterpretationntterppreetaatit ono ooff trttradition.ada itioon.n TThehehe aappealpppeae l ofo mmanyana y BiBBible.blle.e FForor WWald,ald, thetheh BiblicalBibliicaal themesththeemmes hehe selectedseelel cttede werewerere relatedrelal ted to whatwhah t heh termedtere mem d of thesetheh sese sculpturessculpptut rees isi essentiallyesss entitially nostalgic,nosostatalggicic, reflrefl ectingecctitingg onon a JewishJewiw shh communalcommmuunan l lifelil fefe thatthat ‘o‘ourur ppresentrer seentt daydayy happenings’.happpep ningn s’s . Itt waswasas alsoalso ann opportunityoppppoorrtutunin tyy forforr himhimm toto taketatakeke issueissssuee withwitth waswas essentiallyese ses ntntiai llly wipedwipep d outout byb thethhe Holocaust.Hololococauaust. Inn makingmakining them,themem, WaldWaW ldld resortedresesoro teted too a looseloooses thtthehe JeJewishwishh communitycommunityy itselfitstsele f ono thethee subjectsububjejecct ofof art.art.t. andanand expressiveexxprprese sive sstyletylee ooff mommodelling.dellini g.g