Interested in Selling?
Request a valuationJosef Herman was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1911 to a working-class Jewish family. Herman left school aged 13 and took on various jobs, most notably working as a typesetter and then graphic designer. After a fleeting spell at the Warsaw School of Art and Decoration (1930-1) Herman embarked as an artist on his own, holding his first exhibition in 1932. In 1938 at the age of 27, Herman left Poland and arrived in Brussels for a short period before having to flee the Nazis to France and then to Britain.
Herman arrived in Glasgow in 1940 in the company of fellow Polish artist Jankel Adler and sculptor Benno Schotz. While in Glasgow, Herman produced a body of work known as Memory of Memories, nostalgic drawings depicting various scenes of family life, Jewish customs and the everyday street life of his native city. Tragically in 1942 the Red Cross delivered the news to Herman that his whole family had been murdered by the Nazis. Despite this trauma, Herman still managed to produce work which connected to his heritage even after leaving Scotland in 1943.
After Glasgow, Herman and his first wife Catriona spent a short period in London before discovering the small mining town of Ystradgynlais in Wales. Herman made Ystradgynlais his home for 11 years and quickly integrated as an important member of the community. During his time there, the miners, their families and their way of life became the subject of his work. Herman had great respect for their physical labour and captured them in a bold and heroic manner. Herman was especially captivated by the sunset in Wales and reflected this in his work with the miners seeming to glow and are often bathed in a radiant red and gold light. In 1951, Herman was commissioned to paint a mural for the festival of Britain, in which he chose to present six Welsh miners in a moment of rest (currently in the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery Collection).
Herman eventually left Ystradgynlais in 1955, taking his distinct style and applying it to various other subjects while maintaining a strong focus on the dignity of physical toil. This included the fishermen in Suffolk where he lived for a number of years. He also travelled and produced work in Mexico, Israel and Spain. In 1981 he was awarded an OBE for his services to British Art and in 1990 he became a Royal Academician.
Recent Highlights From Josef Herman
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - The Miner, Ystradgynlais, ...
Price Realised: £5,850
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Miner in Landscape; oil a...
Price Realised: £5,460
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Flower...
Price Realised: £3,380
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Three ...
Price Realised: £12,350
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Figure...
Price Realised: £4,680
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Figure...
Price Realised: £6,240
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Mexica...
Price Realised: £6,240
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Family...
Price Realised: £4,160
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Two Figures, 1963; oil o...
Price Realised: £5,720
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Harvester, 1963; oil on c...
Price Realised: £3,640
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Miner Against Telegraph P...
Price Realised: £6,500
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British, 1911-2000- Leading ...
Price Realised: £4,680
Josef Herman RA, British 1911-2000- Mending the Sails; ...
Price Realised: £7,800
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Two Pe...
Price Realised: £4,160
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Going ...
Price Realised: £1,820
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Man an...
Price Realised: £2,600
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Flowers, 1968; oil on ca...
Price Realised: £3,120
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000- Man in t...
Price Realised: £1,950
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Miner with Pipe and Dog, ...
Price Realised: £3,120
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Refugees: Three Figures an...
Price Realised: £5,980
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Sheep Shearing, 1948-49; ...
Price Realised: £1,560
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000- Carryin...
Price Realised: £1,365
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Mending the Nets, 1959-60;...
Price Realised: £650
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Street, Ystradgynlais, c....
Price Realised: £1,690
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Koko the Clown, 1958; pen...
Price Realised: £910
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Man and His Dog, 1958; wa...
Price Realised: £780
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Meetin...
Price Realised: £650
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Family...
Price Realised: £845
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000- Standing figu...
Price Realised: £910
Josef Herman OBE, Polish British 1911-2000- "Mother and Child"; mixe...
Price Realised: £1,885
Josef Herman OBE RA, British 1911-2000- Man and Cart, 1...
Price Realised: £1,196
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000- Geometr...
Price Realised: £715
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Geomet...
Price Realised: £650
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Drinki...
Price Realised: £2,340
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Family...
Price Realised: £2,600
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Reclining woman, c.1940-44...
Price Realised: £650
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Two Women Walking Home, Bu...
Price Realised: Unsold Lot
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Fisherman with Family, 196...
Price Realised: £975
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Harvesting in Burgundy, 19...
Price Realised: Unsold Lot
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Making Music, c.1960-61; ...
Price Realised: £650
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Bird Blue Sky; watercolou...
Price Realised: Unsold Lot
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Fisherman at Sunset, late ...
Price Realised: £1,105
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Design for Charles Baudel...
Price Realised: £624
Josef Herman OBE RA,Polish/British 1911-2000 - On the Quayside; ink on pa...
Price Realised: £650
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000- Man repairing a boat;...
Price Realised: £520
Josef Herman OBE RA, British 1911-2000- "Going Home", c.1955; pen, i...
Price Realised: £1,950
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000- Untitled (Tree); goua...
Price Realised: £416
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000- Untitled (two figures...
Price Realised: £377
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000- Untitled...
Price Realised: £520
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000- Two sea...
Price Realised: £572
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000- Feeding...
Price Realised: £806
Josef Herman OBE RA, British 1911-2000- Lyrical Flower,...
Price Realised: £494
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000- Two men with ...
Price Realised: £910
Josef Herman OBE RA, British 1911-2000 - Sitting Figur...
Price Realised: £520
Josef Herman OBE RA, British 1911-2000 - Carry a Bag; ...
Price Realised: £715
Josef Herman OBE RA, British 1911-2000 - Evening Gossi...
Price Realised: £910
Josef Herman OBE RA, British 1911-2000 - Standing Nude...
Price Realised: £572
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000- Four Fisher Women, 1968;...
Price Realised: £520
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Burgun...
Price Realised: £598
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Bendin...
Price Realised: £455
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Two bl...
Price Realised: £416
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Brown ...
Price Realised: £546
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Blue F...
Price Realised: £442
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Blue m...
Price Realised: £650
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Trio o...
Price Realised: £546
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Farmer...
Price Realised: £780
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Outsid...
Price Realised: £1,690
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Standi...
Price Realised: £2,860
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Woman ...
Price Realised: £845
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Evenin...
Price Realised: £845
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Couple...
Price Realised: £377
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Villag...
Price Realised: £715
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Old ma...
Price Realised: £845
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Portra...
Price Realised: £715
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Mexica...
Price Realised: £1,300
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Childh...
Price Realised: £910
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Man re...
Price Realised: £910
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Three ...
Price Realised: £494
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Portra...
Price Realised: £780
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Woman with Umbrella, 1...
Price Realised: £455
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Man on...
Price Realised: £624
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Mother...
Price Realised: £494
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Figure...
Price Realised: £442
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000, Two Miners, c.1960; lithog...
Price Realised: £520
Josef Herman RA, Polish/British 1921-2000 - Man with mule and cart; pen ...
Price Realised: £390
Josef Herman RA, Polish/British 1921-2000 - Seated female nude; pen and ...
Price Realised: Unsold Lot
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Sleeping figures; ink, w...
Price Realised: £715
Josef Herman OBE RA, British 1911-2000- "Promenade" 1997; lithograph...
Price Realised: £390
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000- Untitled (Mother and ...
Price Realised: £572
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000- Untitled (Goat); past...
Price Realised: £676
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Birds;...
Price Realised: £390
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Snooke...
Price Realised: £715
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Family...
Price Realised: £338
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Woman ...
Price Realised: £364
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000 - Portra...
Price Realised: £234
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Untitled (30), 1991; wat...
Price Realised: £390
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - 8 Seated Figures; waterco...
Price Realised: £312
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Family with Dog Looking ou...
Price Realised: £598
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Two Fisherman; watercolo...
Price Realised: £1,430
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Four figures study; wate...
Price Realised: £286
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000- "Standing Nude"; pen,...
Price Realised: £468
Josef Herman RA, Polish/British 1921-2000 - Mother and child; pencil on ...
Price Realised: Unsold Lot
Josef Herman RA, Polish/British 1921-2000 - Mother and Child; ink, wash ...
Price Realised: £416
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000- Untitled (Lion); pen,...
Price Realised: £325
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Mexica...
Price Realised: £325
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Three ...
Price Realised: £260
Josef Herman RA, Polish/British 1911-2000- "Cockle Gatherers"; litho...
Price Realised: £195
Josef Herman OBE RA, British 1911-2000- ''A Ly...
Price Realised: £260
Josef Herman OBE RA, British 1911-2000- ''A Lyr...
Price Realised: £234
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000- "The Firs...
Price Realised: £156
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000- "Four Fis...
Price Realised: £182
Josef Herman OBE RA, British 1911-2000- ''A Lyr...
Price Realised: £234
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000- Untitled ...
Price Realised: £546
Josef Herman OBE RA, British 1911-2000- Red Sun, 1975; l...
Price Realised: £273
Josef Herman OBE RA, British 1911-2000- Village Street; ...
Price Realised: £442
Josef Herman OBE RA, British/Polish 1911-2000- Rider o...
Price Realised: £546
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Female...
Price Realised: £286
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Untitl...
Price Realised: Unsold Lot
Josef Herman RA, Polish/British 1921-2000 - Two figures drinking; pen an...
Price Realised: £260
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000, On The Way Home, 1974-5; lit...
Price Realised: £247
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000 - Untitled; gouache, pastel a...
Price Realised: £338
Josef Herman OBE RA, British 1911-2000- "Standing Mother and Child";...
Price Realised: £221
Josef Herman OBE RA, British 1911-2000- ''Standing Mother an...
Price Realised: £156
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000- "Conversa...
Price Realised: £351
Josef Herman, Polish 1911-2000- Horse riders; litho...
Price Realised: £195
Josef Herman OBE RA, British 1911-2000- ''Standing Mother an...
Price Realised: £143
Josef Herman RA, Polish/British 1911-2000- "Man and Donkey"; lithogr...
Price Realised: £78
Josef Herman OBE RA, British 1911-2000- ''Village Street'...
Price Realised: £98
Josef Herman OBE RA, British 1911-2000- ''Standing Mother an...
Price Realised: £91
Josef Herman OBE RA, British 1911-2000- Red Sun, 1975;...
Price Realised: £111
Josef Herman RA, Polish/British 1911-2000- A Vase of Fl...
Price Realised: £111
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000- Red Sun...
Price Realised: £98
Josef Herman OBE RA, British 1911-2000- Mother and Chil...
Price Realised: £234
Josef Herman OBE RA, British 1911-2000- ''Four...
Price Realised: £98
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000- ''Four Fisher...
Price Realised: £104
Josef Herman OBE RA, Polish/British 1911-2000- In the Mounta...
Price Realised: £117
Newsletter Signup
Keyword Alerts
Would you like to receive personalised keyword alerts when new catalogues go live. If so, please indicate these below
Set a password to save your keyword alerts
Passwords are a minimum of 7 characters and must include an upper case letter, a lower case letter, a number and a special character (e.g., !@#$%^&*).