Background
Max (Mordechai) Farbmann was born in 1886 in Salakas (Solok) in present-day Lithuania, and moved to Vienna at the age of 20 to study sculpture.
Max (Mordechai) Farbmann was born in 1886 in Salakas (Solok) in present-day Lithuania, and moved to Vienna at the age of 20 to study sculpture.
He was responsible for designing the Lithuanian Independence Monument in his native Salakas. Among his works were commissioned sculpted busts of prominent European figures, including many leading statesmen, as well as the Lithuanian Independence Monument, which was erected in his hometown of Solok in 1930. Farbmann was a versatile sculptor who worked in multiple mediums, including bronze, wood, stone, and ivory.
His carvings focused primarily on detail and atmosphere, revealing an intimate knowledge of and appreciation for the subjects.
In 1933, Farbmann settled in Tel Aviv, Israel at the invitation of the mayor of the city. Nevertheless, Farbmann continued to create sculptures, focusing more on Jewish themes in his later career.
He died in Israel in 1950, aged 64. A collection of artist"s portrait photographs and letters from Farbmann"s estate is found today at the Information Center for Israeli Art in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.