Leibovitch, Norman, 1913-2002 : Born in Montreal in 1913, Norman Leibovitch's formative art studies began in New York City. Over a two-year period starting in 1936 he attended classes at the American Peoples School, the American Artists School and at the influential Art Students League as a scholarship student of sculptor William Zorach.
Leibovitch returned to Montreal in early 1938. He became increasingly friendly with the emerging group of Jewish artists who became the subject of Esther Trepanier's landmark exhibition, "Jewish Painters and Modernity" held in 1987 at the Saidye Bronfman Centre, Montreal. Noted members of this group included Louis Muhlstock, Sam Borenstein, Ernst Neumann, Jack Beder and Alexander Bercovitch.
Leibovitch was an emerging modernist painter. His abstract impressionism showed the influence of the contemporary art movements in both Europe and Israel post World War I.
The artist suffered from recurring bouts of depression. Just as Leibovitch was garnering increasing attention and recognition illness set in. In 1951 he withdrew from exhibiting for over a decade though in continued to paint. He showed some new work briefly in commercial galleries in Montreal and Toronto in 1962 and then retreated from public view again until the eighties. These periods away from publilc view impacted on his career and Leibovitch never regained the prominence of his earlier years.
Bercovitch, Aleksandre, 1893-1951 : Born in 1891 in Cherson, Russia, Alexander Bercovitch had traveled, studies and gained considerable experience as an artist prior to immigrating to Canada. He first moved to Israel studying at the Bezadel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem then to the Munich Academy of Fine Arts under Franz Von Stuck and then to Leningrad's Institute of Arts. He moved to Ashkabad in Turkestan in 1922 taking up residence at an art school then emigrated to Montreal with his family in 1926.
Bercovitch was the oldest of this emerging group of Jewish artists. His artistic and teaching background made him an influential figure amongst his peers. His broader exposure, style and technical ability contributed in the developement of these early Canadian impressionists. A difficult personality at best Bercovitch never adjusted to life in North America. He eventually left his family and spent the remainder of his life painting while living on the edge of poverty. Tragically Alexander Bercovitch collapsed and later died arriving at the opening of his first solo exhibition in Montreal in 1951.
