Jewish Art
an Ancient Tradition
Ever since we became a people, we
have numbered amongst us experts in every manner of artist and artistry, full of
the wisdom of engraving and embroidery, weaving and dyeing, working with silver,
gold, copper. Artisans sophisticated in every manner of craft. Close to Israel's
exit from Egypt, some 3300 years ago, Betzalel, the first Jewish artisan, began
the artistic creation of The Temple and its utensils.
/Exodus
35, 30/
Approximately 350 years afterwards we find artists involved with the artistic
creation of the First Temple and its utensils by order of King Solomon.
/First
Kings 1, 6-7/
In the 1st century before the Common Era, King Herod rebuilt what became the
Second Temple, in all its glory and honor. This building was especially wondrous
in its beauty and the artistry employed in its construction. So much so that our
Sages said: "He who hasn't seen Herod's building has never seen a beautiful
building all the days of his life.'
/Talmud Baba Batra,
4a/
When the Temple was destroyed, art did not disappear from Israel. During the
time of the Talmud it was customary to beautify synagogues with art works
including stone etchings, floor mosaics, and drawings on the walls and ceiling.
The earliest evidence of this is a synagogue built in the 3rd century in Dura
Europos on the banks of the Euphrates river. Its walls are covered with drawings
depicting stories from the Tanach and midrash. During the same period, they
began to illustrate and decorate holy writings with the same intention- to
glorify and honor that which is holy.
The tradition of painting synagogues continued through the generations in all
the diasporas, with a considerable increase from the 17th century and onward,
ceasing only with the destruction of European Jewry in the Shoa.
Today the phrase "Jewish Art" is used for all art created by Jews whose content
is drawn from the sources or Jewish life.
Illustrated Manuscripts
-Ancient
Jewish Art
As long ago as 300 years after the Temple Jewish artists began to illustrate and
decorate hand-written documents. Originally geometric and micrographic
decorations were popular. Later, objects were used, such as the Temple and its
utensils, books from the Tanach, depictions of Biblical stories and midrash.
Decorating the work of scribes was in all of the diasporas. The main centers for
Jewish creativity in this field were Spain, France, Germany, Holland,
Czechoslovakia, and Italy. In the 17th and 18th centuries decoration as an art
field began to flourish. The main documents at the time were books of the
Tanach, siddurim and machzorim, Pesach Hagadas, megillas (Book of Ester), and
ketubas.
Decorations for the Book of Ester were done on the parchment, around the
writing, in the margins, and between the columns. They went from architectonics
and flowers and animals, to figures from the story of Ester.
/M. Friedman. Machanaim 10/
Giclee prints
Giclee is a French word meaning to spray ink.
It is a print method that was developed at the end of the 80s, where millions of
drops of ink per second are sprayed on a canvas or paper. Each drop is one
quarter the diameter of a hair, which enables maximum reproduction of the
original work, both in precision and clarity, as well as color matching. Many
museums around the world display Giclee reproductions, while the invaluable
originals remain safely hidden in safes.
We make our Giclee prints using the best materials available, in an art studio
of the highest reputation used by top professionals. They use original
manufacturers ink from Epson, known for the quality and longevity of their inks.
We print
on canvas, or textured "Fine Art" paper, 100% cotton, acid-free, which enables
us to achieve rich lifelike color.
