This presentation of slides with dialogue explores the many aspects of
Jewish art from the oldest known object 8th c., B.C.E. [Before the Common Era]
to contemporary examples. The artwork chronicles the time, place,
experience, and social position of this special group of people.
Jewish art objects express individual and communal experiences. The
question of the Second Commandment and its influence on the existence of
Jewish Art is presented, along with contemporary influences. Then, the
story of Art in Exchange for Life and The Museum to an Extinct
Race are discussed.
The next section begins an historical and chronological overview of
Jewish art objects from an ivory pomegranate finial to a Gothic
synagogue to an Israeli photo-realist painting. The art parallels three
thousand years of Jewish life throughout the world.
Jewish art is often based on biblical citation, folk sayings, and
local genre imagery. The most internationally famous Jewish artist,Marc
Chagall, captures a 19th c. Yiddish maxim in his Self-Portrait with
Seven Fingers. Find out how he does that….and why!
This presentation is an introduction
to the wealth of artistic
richness and the variety of media and stylistic approaches that
characterize the world of Jewish Art.
This is appropriate for the High
Holidays and may be adapted for all ages.
