Masterworks of the Jewish Museum / Maurice Berger and Joan Rosenbaum with entries by Vivian B. Mann, Norman L. Kleeblatt, and the staff of the Jewish Museum.

Format:

• Book

Author/Creator:

• Berger, Maurice, 1956-2020.

Contributor:

• Rosenbaum, Joan.
• Gershwind/Bennett Endowed Fund for Judaica Collections.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

• Jewish Museum (New York, N.Y.).
• Jewish art.

Physical Description:

253 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 30 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Jewish Museum ; New Haven : Yale University Press, [2004]

Summary:

This magnificent book explores the culture, history, and beliefs of the Jewish people by presenting an extraordinary selection of works from the renowned collection of The Jewish Museum in New York. Ranging from antiquity to the present day, these artworks and ritual objects include a fourth-century glass vessel and ancient burial plaques; exquisite Torah decorations and marriage contracts; stunningly ornate Hanukkah lamps and spice containers; beautiful paintings and prints by such artists as Moritz Daniel Oppenheim, Marc Chagall, and Ben Shahn; striking contemporary works by Leonard Baskin, Sol LeWitt, George Segal, Richard Avedon, and many others; and selections of video and still images from television and film, ranging from documentaries and dramas to situation comedies. Masterworks of The Jewish Museum begins with two complementary essays: a lively overview of the museum's history by Joan Rosenbaum, documenting the evolution of the collection and the key figures who founded the institution; and a provocative discussion by Maurice Berger of the museum's significance within the context of collecting and exhibiting practices over the past century. The book features a superb range of artworks grouped thematically into four categories: memory and history; spirituality and faith; society and politics; and portraiture and identity. Each work is accompanied by a short essay providing description and interpretation. Together the reproductions and informative text reveal in fascinating ways how Jewish culture has evolved through the centuries and across continents.

Contents:

• The Jewish Museum and Its History / Joan Rosenbaum 10
• Museum Without Walls / Maurice Berger 18
• The Collection of The Jewish Museum
• Memory and History 32
• Spirituality and Faith 88
• Society and Politics 166
• Portraiture and Identity 202.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 242-248) and index.

Local Notes:

• Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Gershwind/Bennett Endowed Fund for Judaica Collections.
• Presented to the Penn Libraries from the collection of Grace Cohen Grossman.

ISBN:

0300102925

OCLC:

55687416

Online:

The Gershwind/Bennett Endowed Fund for Judaica Collections Home Page