MEER AXELROD (1902-1970) Reclining nude

signed in Cyrillic ‘M. Axelrod’ (lower right), signed in Cyrillic and dated ‘M Axelrod 63’ (upper right) watercolour on paper 35 x 49.5 cm (à vue) executed in 1963 Meer Akselrod was a Belarusian born Soviet painter, graphic artist, and illustrator, best known for his watercolors and gouaches depicting Jewish life in the Russian Empire and the USSR. Born in Belarus, he survived a pogrom as a child and trained at VKhUTEMAS/VKhUTEIN in Moscow, where he later taught. A member of the Four Arts group and contributor to theatre and film projects (including work with Sergei Eisenstein), his expressive, human centered works are held in major collections such as the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, and the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts.