The Masada Seires: Ethos and Myth in the early works of Elie Shamir

Abstract

This article addresses his deep vision of the relationship between narrative Zionism and its connection to the History of Jews in the land of Israel. This permanent revaluation treads through a dual approach out of formal and aesthetic references. Thus, his first works glimpsed his inner mood towards Ethos and Myth cast on the biblical stories background. After this starting stage, he evolves into harsh criticism of the New Jew Utopia. His deep concern with fanaticism brought about the Masada paintings cycle clustering round a pervasive dichotomy as Masada open spaces and bombing shelters might bear witnesses, along with a great array of tokens of the same ilk, for example death and beauty. In the final stages of this Masada cycle there is a change in style as formal aspects are concerned, nevertheless keeping and clinging himself to the deeply rooted dichotomy.