ABSTRACT
A postcard with a painting by Pesach Ir-Shai from the 1930s2 features a layered
landscape: An outline of a camel’s head and long neck constitutes the front
layer, revealing behind it two radically different landscapes. On one side
it features a round hill with a miniature mosque and a palm tree on its top
and three small tents and a tiny cactus plant on its slope; on the other side
a modern, square building dominates the space and its angular positioning
accentuates its straight, symmetrical lines. The bright Hebrew leers in front
of the modern building mark it as Eretz [literally, “land”], using a common
Zionist nickname for Eretz Israel [the Land of Israel]. The two landscapes
co-exist within the larger picture space and are partially overlapping, yet
the camel and the hill are transparent and the modern building is seen
through their layers. The painting juxtaposes two symbolic landscapes and
emphasizes the difference between them: The Oriental landscape remains
detached from a specific geographical locus or historical time and is barren,
and its transparency suggests a lack of substance or stability. By contrast, the
urban landscape is associated with modern architecture and the Zionist term
“Eretz” that defines the land as a Jewish national space. The building at its
center is large and solid and projects a sense of permanence. The smooth and
round hill with the domed mosque on the right evokes an image of a woman’s
breast and highlights the effeminate character of the Oriental landscape
whereas the angular geometrical forms of both the modern building and
the Hebrew script under it inscribe power and masculinity onto the Zionist
space.
