Jewish Art and Architecture

I

Introduction

Jewish Art and Architecture, art produced by Jews that expresses their religious and cultural traditions. It begins with the ancient Hebraic art of Palestine and continues among Jews throughout the world up to the present. In style, Jewish art resembles non-Jewish art of the same period and place. Secular art by Jews is usually considered in that larger context, even if its subject matter is restricted to Jewish culture.

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Ancient Times

Jewish architecture, pottery, and seals of biblical and Roman times resembled those of contemporary Phoenicia, Babylonia, and Assyria (see Mesopotamian Art and Architecture). The most famous early structure was the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, built by the Phoenician Hiram of Tyre in the 10th century bc. No trace of it remains. Archaeological findings include public buildings at Megiddo and the palace of Ahab (9th century bc) in Samaria.

During the Roman period under the rule of Herod the Great, many buildings were constructed in Palestine in the classical Roman style. Chief among them was Herod's Temple in Jerusalem (1st century bc). The famous Western Wall, also called the Wailing Wall, is an original part of its surrounding wall. The amphitheater in Caesarea and the palace in Masada also belong to this period. Many synagogues were built in Palestine and elsewhere, especially after the Romans destroyed Herod's Temple in ad70 and dispersed the Jews. The synagogues were usually modeled on Roman basilicas. Many features, such as the sanctuary for the Torah scroll at the far end and separate areas for men and women, were adopted in Early Christian churches and survive in Eastern churches. The synagogues were ornamented with carved stone capitals and friezes. The synagogue of Dura-Europos (3rd cent. ad) in Syria is decorated with wall paintings of scenes from the Hebrew Scriptures in a Hellenistic-Persian style. Many synagogues had splendid mosaic floors in the Roman and Byzantine manner, as, for example, in the 6th-century synagogue of Bet Alpha in Galilee and in the synagogue of ancient Sardis (now in Turkey).

The Jews buried their dead in carved sarcophagi, resembling Roman ones, which were interred in burial chambers or catacombs; a notable example is the huge necropolis of Bet She'Arim (1st-4th cent. ad) in Israel. The walls were sometimes painted or carved with Jewish religious symbols such as the menorah.

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III

Later Times

During the Middle Ages and after, Jews in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East built synagogues and schools in the prevailing local styles. Two of the few remaining early examples are the Alt-Neuschul in Prague, Czech Republic, in the Gothic style, and what is now the Sephardi museum of El Tránsito in Toledo, Spain, in the Mudéjar style (both 14th cent.). Somewhat later are the 16th-century synagogue in Venice, Italy, rebuilt in the baroque style, and the 18th-century Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, in the Georgian style. Synagogues in Eastern Europe, often elaborately carved wooden structures adorned with murals, were mostly destroyed by the Nazis in World War II.

The Jews also painted illuminated Bibles and other religious works. In the Middle East, under the influence of the iconoclastic period in Byzantine art and of nonrepresentational Islamic art, paintings in Bibles did not represent animals or humans. In Spain and Germany, however, artists produced rich figural painting, especially on Haggadas, or books of Passover ritual. They depicted scenes from the Hebrew Scriptures and Jewish symbols in local Mudéjar and Gothic styles.

Jewish artisans, especially in Eastern Europe, made fine, ornamental silverware for ritual use in the temple and at home. Pieces included wine cups, plates, menorahs, spice boxes, and Hanukkah lamps. In the 20th century, ritual silver has tended toward a simplified style.

While throughout history many artists of Jewish descent have achieved prominence, their work has always been identified with the mainstream of Western art rather than classed as Jewish art, owing to the universality of subject matter. In the 19th century, however, some artists began to concentrate on aspects of Jewish culture to produce truly Jewish art. The Russian-born painter Marc Chagall and the Lithuanian-born sculptor Jacques Lipchitz have both produced works evoking specific Jewish themes, especially in commissions intended for the state of Israel. Artists living in Israel, while producing works in recognizable international styles, have begun to develop independent modes that give promise of an emerging Israeli style.

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