Judaism and the Arts

(3 Credits)

Does the historic Jewish tradition, founded in part on its opposition to idolatry, have a place for the visual arts? Marc Chagall, icon of modern Jewish art, once declared that “Judaism struggled with ancient idolatry..., so that it remained with no share in the treasures of graphic art.” This course takes a close look at the approaches to the visual arts in the Jewish tradition, from antiquity through modernity, reflecting a spectrum of positions and perspectives far more nuanced than Chagall’s statement would warrant. It also explores the rich and creative treasures of what historians identify as uniquely Jewish art. Our survey in this course encompasses synagogue and ceremonial art, manuscript illumination, micrography, and new developments by Jewish artists from the nineteenth century to the present