Selected dates:

January 7, 1900

Born in Smilovichi, Igumen district , Minsk province (Russian Empire, now Smilovichi, Cherven district, Minsk region)

1913

He received his primary art education at the Vilna Drawing School.

1914

He became interested in the ideas of Zionism and left for Palestine. For almost two years Faibish-Shraga lived and worked in a kibbutz (agricultural commune).

1916

He entered the Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts in Jerusalem, where he continued his art education.

1918-1920

Service in the British Army.

1920

The aspiring artist presented his works at an exhibition organized by the mayor of Jerusalem.

1920s

He travels to Europe to continue his studies.

1923

He studies in Berlin under the guidance of Max Liebermann, one of the prominent representatives of the Berlin Secession art association.

1924

Moved to France, to Paris. He entered the circle of contemporary artists, renewed his acquaintance and maintained relations with the painter Chaim Soutine, wrote a lot and regularly took part in exhibitions of the Salon of Independents (in 1925-1927, 1930, 1933, 1937, 1940).

1931

Received French citizenship.

1933–1938

In parallel with painting, he actively worked in the field of artistic textiles: sketches of fabrics created by him for the fashion house of Olga Olbi, with whom the artist worked closely, have been preserved.

1939

With the outbreak of World War II, he was called up for military service, but soon, the army was disbanded. Fearing Nazi reprisals, Tsarfin hid with his family in the French provinces, moving from city to city. The owner of the house in Paris, where the Tsarfins had an apartment before the war, got rid of the belongings of the departed tenants. The family archive, about three hundred paintings and drawings by Faibish-Shraga Tsarfin, created before 1940, and a small collection of works by his artist friends disappeared without a trace.

1941-1944

Despite the extremely difficult situation, during the war years the artist was demobilized and participated in the Resistance Movement, continued to write and exhibit:

1941

Exhibition at the Notre Dame Gallery in Grenoble;

1942

Exhibition at the Foyer des Arists in Lyon; exhibition at the Folklore Gallery in Lyon;

1944

After the liberation of France, the first solo exhibition of Zarfin's works took place in Grenoble.

In the post-war period, fame came to the artist.

1947

He moved to the small town of Rosny-sous-Bois near Paris, where he remained to live until the end of his days. Life in post-war France, destroyed and plundered by the Nazis, was very difficult, but it was at this time that Tsarfin decided to follow the advice of his older friend Chaim Soutine and devote himself entirely to painting. His work increasingly bears the imprint of the intense inner life of the artist, especially after he learns about the death of his parents in the Smilovichi ghetto.

1950s

He created a series of paintings dedicated to the temples, monasteries and castles of France, which is considered the best in his creative heritage. Several works from the series, such as "Mont-Saint-Michel" and "Brissac Tower", are currently in the corporate collection of Belgazprombank.

1954

Painting Zarfin Landscape was bought by the French Museum of Modern Art in Paris. The artist's works were in great demand among private collectors in France, the USA and Canada. He regularly exhibited his work at exhibitions - group and personal.

1960s

Only now the artist manages to overcome the internal emotional crisis, his works gradually begin to shine with a beautiful blue color, filled with peace and tranquility.

September 25, 1975

Faibish-Shraga passed away.