From Publishers Weekly
This handsomely illustrated survey of Jewish art extends from an eighth-century B.C. ivory pomegranate-shaped vase (the only known object attributed to King Solomon's Temple) through Hebrew illuminated medieval manuscripts to paintings by Marc Chagall and Larry Rivers. Grossman, a curator at the Hebrew Union College Skirball Museum in Los Angeles, explores how Jewish artists have adapted the techniques of profoundly different cultures to create a distinctly Judaic artistic heritage, whether in a Byzantine mosaic synagogue floor, wrought-iron grillwork from a Prague synagogue, a velvet Torah mantle from Morocco or artwork from Israel, Austria, Ukraine, Prussia, Persia, England, Rome or the U.S. Clothing, paintings, prayerbook engravings, Sabbath lamps and plates, scrolls, silverware, marriage contracts and menorahs help reveal how Jews mark life-cycle passages. George Segal's sculpture The Holocaust (1982), Max Beckmann's oil The Synagogue (1919) and paintings by Raphael Soyer, Adolph Gottlieb, Chaim Soutine, Ben Shahn and Jack Levine infuse traditional themes with contemporary relevance. This magnificent gift book is a rich repository of Jewish history, life and art.
Copyright 1995 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
In this beautifully illustrated volume, Grossman, curator at the Hebrew Union College Skirball Museum in Los Angeles, focuses on the question: "What is Jewish art?" Here she traces Jewish art from antiquity to the 20th century. The text covers art in the Diaspora, works of art from life-cycle events, art for the holidays, and art for the Sabbath. The range of works and the chronological periods covered by the author are vast, and each chapter contains new and interesting information. In addition, the objects chosen as illustrations are unusual. Many have rarely been seen in print and give evidence of undiscovered richness in Jewish art. The choice of the art objects illustrated here demonstrates an astonishing knowledge of Jewish art across the centuries and from many different civilizations. The index is very helpful, and the bibliography is useful, although it is quite brief. This volume is recommended for the general reader and the specialist alike.?Martin Chasin, Adult Inst., Bridgeport, Ct.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
