Man Who Painted President Predicts Jewish Art Revival

Although the Jews have not yet an art peculiar to themselves, they have the artists capable of devoloping an artistic tradition, Max Band, the young painter who has just completed a portrait of President Roosevelt in Washington, told the Jewish Daily Bulletin yesterday.

“We have had the great prophets.”Mr. Band said, ‘while other peoples have had the great artists. Now, perhaps, we shall develop the great artists, even though we may see no more Isaiahs or Jeremiahs. “Mr. Band, who came to the United States last fall, completed his portrait of the President last week. He worked in the offices of the busy Chief Executive as well as in his apartment. The Picture will be presented. The picture will be presented to some American organization in Paris, where Mr. Band makes his residence.

From the experience of the his many hours with the President, Mr. Band declared that he could have only the highest admiration for Mr. Roosevelt’s great simplicity, explaining that his “Greatness is felt in each movement he makes.” One has the feeling that if an opponent entered President Roosevelt’s home, he would be sure to come out a friend, he said. The painter had an opportunity to see Mr. Roosevelt as he really was, since he worked while the regular executive business continued. He was presented to Mrs. Rossevelt to whom he gave one of his paintings “Fleur.”

ON LEVEL WITH FRENCH

Discussing the furture of Jewish art, Mr. Band declared that, although it began only a generation gerneration ago, “it is already placed on the same level with French art, whith all its long artistic tradition.”

Mr. Band, who was born thirty three years ago in what is now Lithuania, explained that “Jewish art is recognized by the French, but hardly known at all by the Jews themselves.” He cited a recent issued of the French manazine, I’ Amour de I’Art, which devotes itsell to the mordern Jewish art-