Israeli art is notable for perpetuating the Zionist ideal of making the desert bloom in the Land of Israel. This art immortalized on canvas the Jew who has returned to his soil, which he works and to which he is connected. The Arabs – strong and sun-bronzed locals – served as an archetype for the new Jew.
Ms' Hanna Daniel Kopf passed away on 8/6/2006 may may she rest in peace.
For Hanna Haniel Kopf, the Land of Israel was industry. Throughout her work, we feel the rhythm of the twentieth century - she kept up with the times and that is part of her uniqueness as a painter.
Hanna Haniel Kopf’s paintings pulse with the delerious rhythm of life, with a surprise awaiting at every bend in the road. The many roads lead to an endless horizon and the viewer must choose the way.
Some of the electrical poles in her paintings lie on the ground waiting to stand tall. Sometimes, several poles are already standing, but there is always one lying on the ground, giving the painting a feeling of depth, and a group of hard-hatted workers around it ready for action. Houses with neatly arranged windows jut out beside the electrical poles. The painting is usually geometrical, with a lively rhythm like that of a well-oiled machine.
The spectrum of colors in this series of paintings is dark. Green, blue, and purple prevail here. In this aspect, too, her paintings are unique: the newly arrived immigrant painters, dazzled by the intensity of the sunlight in the Land of Israel, very quickly abandoned the dark colors that dominated their past in Eastern Europe and switched over to bright colors. Hanna Haniel Kopf did not surrender to the spirit and style of that period - perhaps because she could allow herself what they couldn’t: she was a native, who need not fear that she would be marked with the stigma of a new immigrant.
She is an urban artist, painting scenes in which the urban bourgeoisie is presented playing cards, sitting in cafes, clattering on high heels under parasols. In these scenes, the colors are gay and pure, green juxtaposed with blue and red.
Her Safed paintings deviate from her usual style and materials. These paintings are richly expressive, executed on a canvas of coarse, thick jute. The colors are monochromal and Safed becomes a magical, mystical city well suited to the spirit of the kabbalists who live and study there.
Her series of biblical paintings highlights the women of the Bible in particular.
Jerusalem, with its Temple Mount and its landscapes, was one of her favorite themes. She also produced many paintings of flowers, some of them highly expressionistic.
Hanna was selected to the Esteemed magazine
"Who's Who in International Art".
Hanna Haniel Kopf is an artist to whose work each and every viewer can relate, both those who are well versed in artistic styles and those who have only now begun to appreciate the multifaceted art of painting.
Talila Grinberg