Rembrandt Seen Through Jewish Eyes: The Artist’s Meaning to Jews from His Time to Ours

Rembrandt's earliest painting, depicting the prophet Balaam, was bought by a Sephardi Jew in the service of Cardinal Richelieu of France, and his etching plate depicting Abraham Dismissing Hagar and Ishmael was bought by a Sephardi Jew of Amsterdam. Jewish collectors, historians, artists, and rabbis have been drawn to Rembrandt's art, seeing it as a reflection of their own deepest concerns.

Format: Hardback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 01 December 2023
Publisher: Amsterdam University Press

The earliest painting by Rembrandt whose owner is documented depicts the prophet Balaam, on his way to blessing Israel. The man who bought it was a Sephardi Jew in the service of Cardinal Richelieu of France. The first known buyer of an etching plate by Rembrandt, depicting Abraham Dismissing Hagar and Ishmael, was a Sephardi Jew of Amsterdam. Seen through their eyes, Rembrandt was the creator of images with a special meaning to Jews. They have been followed through the centuries by Jewish collectors, Jewish art historians, Jewish artists who saw their own deepest concerns modelled in his art and life, and even prominent rabbis, one of whom said that Rembrandt was a Tzadik, a holy man blessed by God. This book is the first study in depth of the potent bond between Rembrandt and Jews, from his time to ours, a bond that has penetrated the image of the artist and the people alike.

Dimension: 28 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789463728188