Raphael Soyer: A Portrait of Urban Humanity Raphael Soyer (1899-1987) was a Russian-born American Scene painter known for his Social Realist depictions of New York City life, portraits & urban scenes. Explore his work and legacy! Born in Borisoglebsk, Russia, Raphael Zalman Soyer—along with his identical twin brother, Moses—were born in borisoglebsk, tambov, a southern province of russia in 1899. Their father, abraham soyer, a hebrew scholar, writer and teacher, raised his six children in an intellectual environment in which much emphasis was placed on academic and artistic pursuits. Their…