Now, in my ripe, old age, my vain concerns have passed, as most of my life is behind me, and when I am alone and by myself, the images of my youth, of my Odessa, appear before me--that is what I am trying to paint." Yefim Ladyzhensky

On view at the Jewish Museum of Maryland through Sunday, February 19, 2023

Yefim Ladyzhensky’s Odessa was a dynamic city rich with humor, arts, and Jewish life. It was a city of stark juxtapositions: wealth and poverty, comedic irony and tragedy, high art and folk culture.

This exhibit presents 36 tempera paintings alongside excerpts from Ladyzhensky’s unpublished memoirs. These paintings are recognizably drawn from life in early 20th-century Odessa, yet are highly specific and personal. Some paintings depict Ladyzhenksy’s memories and impressions from life in the city, while others are completely imagined. Many of the figures are recalled from Ladyzhensky’s youth: tradesmen and shop clerks, family and neighbors, all composed within flattened perspectives and densely textured surfaces.

The specificity of Ladyzhensky’s subjects and compositions illustrate his relationship to the city of his youth: a place of heartfelt fondness and longing. Certain prominent motifs, such as the veiny imported limestone of the buildings and the grayish cobblestone streets, make this work identifiably Odessan; others, such as the recurring appearance of Ladyzhensky’s childhood dog, serve as reminders that these are his Odessan impressions.

Click on images below to navigate to exhibition sections

A photograph of Yefim Ladyzhensky smiling slightly and resting his face on his hand.
An image of a close-up of a painting.
An image of a painting from the Memory section of the exhibition. Two people sleep in separate beds.
An image of a painting from the Culture section of the exhibition. A brass band plays music in a pavilion.
An image of a painting from the Upheaval section of the exhibition. People carry and hoist up furniture.
An image of a painting from the Sensations section of the exhibition. A street scene with horses and wagons.
An image of a painting from the Lanzheron section of the exhibition. A large boat in the harbor.
An image of a painting from the Jewish Life section of the exhibition. Ten people stand and pray together.
An image of a painting from the Past is Always With Me section of the exhibition. A self-portrait sitting at the base of a statue.

My Odessa: Paintings By Yefim Ladyzhensky

An Original Exhibition Created by the Jewish Museum of Maryland 

This project has been made possible by:

In honor of Joel Rabin

Sandra D. Hess

David & Kathryn Birnbaum

Dr. Sheldon and Saralynn Glass 

Jewish Museum of Maryland Executive Director:

Sol Davis

Exhibition Curator: 

Liora Ostroff

Exhibition Design and Installation:

Glenn Dellon 

P&M Exhibits

Translations and editing by:

Shelley Fairweather-Vega

Yelena Kalinsky

Yevgeny Kalinsky

Alex Niemi

Yelena Shmulenson

Beatrice Voorhees

David Young

Misha Zagorsky

Audio Production:

Mark Gunnery

Website Design:

Mark Gunnery

Liora Ostroff

Naomi Weintraub

Additional thanks to:

Hannah Aliza Goldman

Yevgeny and Svetlana Kalinsky

Leonid and Irene Kelner

Mark Kelner and Margarita Litvak-Kelner

Yefim Ladyzhensky’s family

Zachary Levine

Noah Mitchel

The JMM team

Exhibitions at the Jewish Museum of Maryland are also supported by the following endowments:

 Hoffberger Family Exhibition Endowment 

Stanford Z. and Cory Rothschild Exhibition Endowment 

Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Jewish Museum Fund



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