Page 61 - Studio International - March 1973

It aimed, ambitiously, to cover this topic from craftsmen working under the guidance of Shorter notices
pre-Biblical archaeological times right down to Jewish artisans. Textile embroidery was
our own day. The name 'Jewish art' can be certainly Jewish. The same applies to designs of
highly misleading, and more confusing than Hebrew printed books. Synagogues acquired
enlightening. Pre-biblical Palestinian art with their own style, both in Spain, central and
its emphasis on specific pagan subjects could eastern Europe, and it seems that the
hardly have influenced the biblical subjects of architects developed a specific 'Jewish' style to
the Sacrifice of Isaac, the Shofar (the ram's differentiate them from the church, Gothic or
horn), the synagogue structure, the Ark, and so Baroque. The Art Deco Style, selected by Theodore
on. The more we move away from early biblical With the advent of the modern age, Menten. 182 pp, 468 monochrome illustrations.
times, and we come to the Middle Ages, the particularly after the French Revolution, many Dover. $4.00.
confusion becomes even more marked. Jews came under the artistic influence of the A bookful of pictures of everything —
The various scholars who have contributed rising art schools, mainly from France and household objects, architecture, graphics,
chapters to this book, and some are excellent, Germany. Over a third of the book is devoted to books — authentically representative of the
have not helped matters, as no one has tried to the various artists who happened to be Jewish Movement which derived its name from the
define clearly what is meant by 'Jewish', as by birth. While we have here interesting studies 1925 Paris exhibition `L'Exposition
distinct from non-Jewish, art. So far the by Alfred Werner on 'Jewish Artists of the Age Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels
only serious attempt to come to grips with this of Emancipation'; by E. M. Namewyi on 'Jewish Modernes'. It's difficult to see exactly who this
concept is by the late Professor Leo Ary Mayer, Impressionists'; by W. George on 'The School of sort of book is designed for: Hippy, nostalgically
a distinguished Islamic art historian, who Paris' and 'The Jewish Artist in the Modern (and economically) faded pages, thus losing some
defined it, in his planned monumental World' by E. Roditi, we are certainly on slippery useful definition, no colour. Perhaps some
bibliography of Jewish art (subsequently edited ground. It is a list of names, some of whose people will leave it lying around and the price is
by Professor Otto Kurtz), as bearing on Jewish works included Jewish themes, but their style definitely reasonable.
religious life and ritual, having Jewish symbols, and method of work is supra-national, and is The Elements of Drawing by John Ruskin,
or carrying Hebrew inscriptions, and deriving not restricted to a purely Jewish tradition. introduction by Lawrence Campbell. 228 pp,
basically from Jewish traditions in different Unfortunately these sections were poorly 51 monochrome illustrations. Dover paperback.
countries before Jews received their edited. Plates of artists are included, e.g. plate $2.50.
emancipation in Europe, namely when the 329 of Anatoli Kaplan, and others, and there is Apparently Monet is said to have remarked
Jewish craftsmen and artists were less no text to explain the plates. The best studies in that 9o% of the theory behind impressionist art
influenced by the external environment. His this book are 'Jewish Art in the Moslem World' is in this book. Here it is nicely represented,
terminal point was 1830. by Professor L. A. Mayer, and 'The Illumination another Dover Edition 'designed for years of
Specific Jewish art started approximately in of Hebrew Manuscripts in the Middle Ages and use!' (Peculiar, that exclamation mark.)
the first century B.c. and centred round the Renaissance' by Franz Landsberger. The Erté Fashions by Erté. 112 pp, 7 colour and
synagogue, revolving round a limited number of history of Jewish art is a recent discipline. We many monochrome illustrations. Academy
Jewish symbols. A number of such synagogues, need to know infinitely more on every form of Editions, London/St Martin's Press, New York.
with mosaic floors, have been found in Israel Jewish artistic creativity, and till we have an £2.25 paperback, £3.20 clothbound.
and in Rome. They contain Greco-Roman authoritative study this book will serve as a Erté was contracted to Harper's Bazaar from
influences, superimposed by many Jewish useful introduction. q 1915-1937. He is indisputably unique among
symbols. The great surprise was the discovery in CHIMEN ABRAMSKY fashion artists in that his drawings were not
1934 of a third-century synagogue in Dura- illustrations of existing models but designs of
Europos, Northern Syria, with walls richly his own creation which served as a constant
decorated with human beings, describing Contributors to this issue source of inspiration to the couturiers. A
biblical events as interpreted in rabbinic Chimen Abramsky is a reader in Jewish breezy frontispiece showing old R.T. in Rip
literature. The paintings, bearing an early studies at University College, London . . . Van With It attire sets the scene. Some of the
Byzantine influence, were contrary to biblical Philip Connisbee is a lecturer in art history at black-and-whites are blurred and the colour's
injunctions : 'Thou shalt not make unto thee a the University of Leicester ...Tim Craig is unnecessary. It could be cheaper.
graven image, nor any manner of likeness.' So currently working on a book on Al Capone . . . The Social Context of Art, edited by Jean
far this synagogue remains unique. We cannot Cecilia Dresser is responsible for Japanese Creedy. 217 pp. Tavistock Publications
compare it with any other Jewish paintings in books in the University Library, Cambridge .. . paperback. £1.25
the ancient world. Andrew Forge is art critic of The Listener . . . Here we go: Kepes, Cornford and, guess who,
After this we have a long gap, and in the tenth David Freke is a lecturer in art history at Edward Lucie-Smith, among others. Eleven
century we have Hebrew bibles illustrated in Chelsea School of Art . . . Charles Harrison essays, breezy, if not thrown together. Example:
the East, and the subjects illuminated 'were is editor of Art-Language . . . Malcolm P.S. I've just thought of two thumping great
vessels used in the Temple in Jerusalem' but Le Grice is a film-maker and a lecturer at issues which, if I hadn't had to write this in such
`the ornaments are entirely Moslem' (Mayer). St Martin's School of Art . . John Milner is a a hurry .. .'. This was written in 1968 too;
The art of illumination spread to Europe, and lecturer in fine art at the University of maybe five years has dulled the immediacy.
there the Jewish scribes/illuminators Newcastle upon Tyne . . . Paul Overy has Radical Perspectives in the Arts, edited by
introduced Spanish, French, Italian, German published books on Kandinsky and De Stijl and Lee Baxandall. 388 pp. Pelican paperback. 65p.
and other influences, always superimposed writes regularly for New Society . . . Caroline 19 lectures on such topics as 'The Arts and
by specific Jewish symbols derivative of Jewish Tisdall is art critic of the Guardian, and was Capitalism', 'The Arts and Socialism', 'The
tradition. There still remain the unsolved organizer of the recent Futurism exhibition held Future of Culture: the "End" of "Culture"'.
problems of whether the illuminators were in Newcastle and at the Royal Academy .. . Contributions by Marcuse, Sartre, Fischer, even
Jews, or Christian artisans employed by Jewish William Tucker teaches at St Martin's School Castro. There are 13 monochrome illustrations,
patrons. of Art . . Frank Whitford is a contributing all relating to the John Berger piece, one
In addition, there is Jewish ritual silver, editor to Studio International . . Maurice particularly amusing one of officials of Chase
which has survived since the sixteenth century, Yaffe is a research psychologist at the Manhattan watching President Nixon sideways
and was probably executed by Christian Institute of Psychiatry, London on TV.

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