The Tel Aviv Museum of Art is delighted to announce that Bank of America has endowed the Museum with a grant for the restoration of George Segal’s sculpture The Sacrifice of Isaac, 1973 from its collection. Since 2010, Bank of America Art Conservation Project has provided grants to museums in thirty-three countries for more than 170 conservation projects comprising thousands of individual pieces.

On June 23, Bank of America announced 23 major art restoration projects for 2021 in 13 countries and nine U.S. cities through the 2021 Bank of America Art Conservation Project (ACP). This year’s grant recipients include:

• Vatican Museums, Vatican City – Apollo “del Belvedere”
• Museum of Modern Art, New York City, N.Y.
• Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York City, N.Y.
• Städel Museum, Frankfurt, Germany
• The Wallace Collection, London, England
• Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands

The Bank of America Art Conservation Project is a key demonstration of Bank of America’s arts support worldwide, and part of the company’s environmental, social and governance commitment. Their programs are designed to have a positive impact on economies and societies throughout the world, and shine a light on diverse cultural traditions.

Rena DeSisto, global arts and culture executive, Bank of America stated: “It’s a privilege to support this important work to safeguard our cultural treasures as we believe in the power of the arts to help economies thrive, educate and enrich societies and create greater cultural understanding.”

This year’s selections also include several iconic paintings, including Georges Seurat’s “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” at the Art Institute of Chicago, “The Boy in a Red Vest” by Paul Cézanne and “Man-Eater with Pennants” by Alexander Calder, will take place at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

About the work and the artist
The Sacrifice of Isaac, 1973
George Segal (USA, 1924–2000)
Plaster cast, 190×265×320 cm
Gift of the Tel Aviv Foundation for Literature and Art

Jewish-American sculptor George Segal (1924–2000) is best known for his realistic plaster sculptures. He developed a technique in which he wrapped people and objects in white plaster bandages, creating a mold to which material could be poured or left to harden when hollow. The sculpture The Sacrifice of Isaac was inspired by the Biblical story in which the patriarch Abraham sets out to bind and sacrifice his son Isaac, in obeyance to God. It was created in the days following the 1973 Yom Kippur War and referred to the thousands of fallen Israeli soldiers.

For the casting Segal invited his friend, Israeli sculptor Menashe Kadishman, and his son, to model Abraham and Isaac. The collaboration between the American artist and a prominent Israeli artist on a politically charged subject resulted in the work being recognized as most significant not only in the local art field but also in the international modern art arena.

The project aims to restore the sculpture to its initial condition after substantial deterioration of its aesthetic and structural qualities. Once completed, the conservation project will ensure the sculpture's long-term stability and mobility and will be shown again in a special display at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, describing the restoration process.

The Tel Aviv Museum of Art is enormously grateful for the grant, which will give a renewed lease of life to a work of art of great art historical importance.