Expert Analysis
Art Meets Jewish History
Harkening back to the much-loved and well-attended “blockbuster” exhibits of previous decades, “The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt” tour organized by curators in two of its venues, the North Carolina Museum of Art and the Jewish Museum, opens a window on the world of 17th-century Holland and some of the ways that it was impacted by the contributions of its Jewish community. Jews and people of all faiths reaped the benefits of religious tolerance. Here, the Old Testament Book of Esther recounted in the megillah and commemorated by the holiday of Purim, takes the spotlight, as the exhibit teaches that then, as now, Jewish culture and heritage enhance the lives of people in a secular society.
The installation brings together fine and decorative arts, secular and sacred Judaica including two elaborately illustrated Megillahs from Europe and Asia. “The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt” is open through mid-January at its final stop, Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Viewers are sure to be dazzled by a diverse array of fascinating genre paintings illustrating aspects of the city of Amsterdam, as well as five Rembrandts, with the dazzling “Self-Portrait, Age 23” from the museum’s collection stealing the show.
Jewish Life in the Dutch Golden Age
Freed from the Catholic control of Spain and the Vatican, the newly formed Dutch Republic became the first modern nation, transformed and made wealthy by skyrocketing expansion of trade, the spread of literacy, and advancements in science and related disciplines, as well as the traditions of people in countries where trading occurred. Although they were prohibited from joining guilds, Jewish residents, who excelled in fields including medicine, book publishing and gemology, were free to practice their faith.
Esther’s Story Through Dutch Eyes
Because Jewish life and religious observances were not hidden, the people of the Netherlands, now a Calvinist country, knew about the Purim story and the humble origins of Esther, the beautiful Jewish queen, to regard her victory over her powerful adversary, the Chief Minister Haman, in ancient Persia as a mirror which reflected the contemporary history of the Netherlands.
The art and artifacts in the show reveal the resonance of the symbolism of Purim and the circumstances of its evolution, described by the curators as:
“…the vibrant, growing Jewish community in Amsterdam and expanding trade contacts with the Middle East fueled interest in Esther and the lush, imagined Persian world she inhabited. Her visually rich story became an intriguing and repeated subject for Rembrandt and other artists of the period…”
The queen is portrayed, variously, as a modern Dutch woman or in the Persian court, garbed in exotic robes and jewels, whose depiction was inspired by the Middle Eastern clothing and textiles which became a fad in Amsterdam and other European cities.
Not unexpectedly, paintings, graphics, furniture and even tapestries illustrate the most sensual and dramatic parts of the megillah: Esther fearfully approaching the King, Ahasuerus (Xerxes I, who reigned from 485 to 460 BCE), to request an audience, which if refused, would mean her execution, and the dinner scene, when her condemnation of Haman, for his genocidal plans, led to his own death.
Although Rembrandt painted Jewish models and used them for his Old Testament scenes, other 16th and 17th century artists also found the Purim story to be “an intriguing and repeated subject.”
A Contemporary Take on Esther
Complementing “The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt” at the Gardner is a one-person show incorporating multimedia elements by Israeli artist Michal Rovner, whose contemporary take on the Esther narrative was inspired by both the form and content of the single staved megillah scroll. An excerpt from Rovner’s2018 video “Untitled/Night” will be projected onto the museum’s façade through Feb. 8, 2027.
Cheryl Kempler is an art and music specialist who works in the B’nai B’rith International Curatorial Office and writes about history and Jewish culture for B’nai B’rith Magazine. To view some of her additional content, click here.