Jewish Art is a lavishly illustrated, comprehensive survey of the work of artists of the past two centuries who have, whether they so identified or not, been designated as Jewish artists. From an early reference to Camille Pissaro to the most recent Israeli [Rena Castelnuova (2009)] and American artists[Archie Rand (2006)], the authors relate the artists and their work to their Jewish experience no matter how slight their religious affiliations may be. Jewish experience is discussed as the feeling of being the “Other” in society, the diasporic effect on one’s identity, the social conscience as a heritage derived from Biblical teachings, the Holocaust as a profound inspiration for powerful images, and the homeland experience of Israel. The text includes discussions of well-known European artists such as Amadeo Modigliani and Chaim Soutine, whose work rarely referenced any Jewish symbols, along with Isidore Kaufmann and Maurycy Gottlieb, representative of several artists whose subject matter is Jewish. It is a given that Jewish artists were influenced by prevailing artistic modes and political climate as proven by such Russian artists as El Lissitzky and Naum Gabo, while others, like Marc Chagall and Issachar Ryback, were inspired by Jewish folk images. The section on American Jewish artists includes the familiar artists, such as Max Weber, Jack Levine, Larry Rivers, Eva Hesse, and Ben Shahn. The real strength of the book is the discussion of lesser known artists such as Henry Mosler, Moses Jacob Ezekiel, Abraham Wolkowitz, and Audrey Flack. The chapter “Art and the Holocaust” includes artists whose images range from horrific to allegorical; in “Home to Israel,” the images range from idealized to neo-realism.
Works by photographers, a major component of contemporary Israeli art, are also included. The book is a welcome distillation of critical writing that exists elsewhere, as indicated by the extensive footnoting. The authors have brought together material that is otherwise inaccessible to most readers and have done so in a very readable style. Regrettably, the identification of provenance of the reproductions is not easily located in the photo-credits located at the end of the book. Both authors are professors of art history at universities. Among Baskind’s earlier publications, Encyclopedia of Jewish American Artists (2007) is a useful reference tool.
Visual Arts
Jewish Art: A Modern History
- Review
By
– April 26, 2012
Esther Nussbaum, the head librarian of Ramaz Upper School for 30 years, is now education and special projects coordinator of the Halachic Organ Donor Society. A past editor of Jewish Book World, she continues to review for this and other publications.
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