Irving Amen

Irving Amen was an American artist best known for his woodcuts, etchings and paintings. Amen was born in New York City and by the age of fourteen had earned a scholarship to Pratt Institute of Art, where he studied from 1932-1939. His love for the Renaissance artist Michelangelo made him a dedicated student of the human figure. His first exhibitions were held at The New School and the Smithsonian Institute. He was also in three exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, held between 1949 and 1952.

Some of his commissions included designing the Peace Medal in honor of the Vietnam War, and designing twelve stained glass windows, depicting the Twelve Tribes of Israel, for the Agudas Achim Synagogue in Columbus, Ohio.

Amen was a member of many art organizations, including the International Society of Wood Engravers, Society of American Graphic Artists, Artists Equity, Audubon Artists and the American Color Print Society. 

His work is included in the collections of many institutions around the world, including the New York Public Library; Smithsonian American Art Museum; Albertina Museum, Vienna; Bezalel National Museum, Jerusalem; Bibliotheque Royale, Brussels; Bibliotheque nationale, Paris; Library of Congress; Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Modern Art, New York; and the Stadtische Museum, Wilberfeld, Germany.