Extremely rare, early 9.25 x 12 etching of Albert Einstein's head by William Meyerowitz—probably the first portrait of Einstein done by an artist in the United States—titled and signed in the lower border in pencil by the artist, "Head Prof. Einstein, Wm. Meyerowitz." The etching also carries the artist's facsimile signature inherent to the print: "W. Meyerwitz, 21." In fine condition.
Painter, draftsman, and graphic artist William Meyerowitz (1887–1981) was born in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine. In 1908, he migrated to the United States with his father, and the family followed a few years later. He began painting and drawing already in his homeland. He studied at the National Academy of Design from 1912 to 1916. He met the artist Theresa Bernstein, whom he married in 1919. From the 1920s to the 1940s, Meyerowitz had numerous exhibitions across America. He met significant painters of his time, including Edward Hopper and Marcel Duchamp. Additionally, he taught at various universities and schools.
The portraits that Meyerowitz drew of Einstein were created from life. He studied Einstein during the first meeting of the Zionists in New York in 1921, as well as during a university lecture.
The encounter between Einstein and Meyerowitz is well documented in 'William Meyerowitz: The Artist Speaks' by Theresa Bernstein Meyerowitz (The Art Alliance Press, 1986): 'To study Einstein further, William was invited to attend a lecture on relativity given by the professor at New York University. They gave us seats in the front row where we could watch Einstein's every expression…We gathered our sketches and rushed to the same exit. William made an etching of the professor in which only Einstein`s head was visible, symbolized as a planet in space.'
