Matan Ben Cnaan (b.1980)

Bitter Moments of Grace, 2022-2023

Oil on linen

Measurement: 161 x 111 CM


Estimated price: $20,000 - $28,000

At first glance, Matan Ben Cnaan’s work “Bitter Moments of Grace” seems to have been painted following the monstrous events of October 7. Yet the work on this painting started well before and portrays the tragic story of Jewish boxer Victor Perez, who was shot dead while trying to distribute bread during the Death March out of Auschwitz. The atrocities of October 7 prompted Ben Cnaan to finish the painting. While depicting a catastrophe, this painting is also about altruism and heroism – values that strengthen the connection between this painting and our present moment. Ben Cnaan’s work has been exhibited at the Israel Museum, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, and the National Portrait Gallery, London, among other institutions. 

MORE FROM