Artist Raphael Soyer

Russian Born American Master

By: Charles Giuliano - Nov 28, 2015

Raphael Soyer

Born in Russia
The Brothers Soyer
Raphael, Moses and Isaac
Social Realists
Artists of the WPA
So they say
Gentle genre
Workers at play
Little men
Best of their day
Evocative paintings
Cornered in an alley
Narrow streets of
Provincetown
Before he died in ‘87
Photographed Raphael
Hot summer day
By the sea
In suit and cap
Like it was winter
All buttoned up
Frozen in place
Perhaps intimidated
Big guy with camera
Shot for posterity
Gazing at me
Intently
Haunting expression
Survivor of pogroms
Covered his
Show at BU Art Gallery
Curator Pat Hills
Warned me sternly
Don’t call him
Diminutive