Description
Book SynopsisEliezer-Zusman of Brody: The Early Modern Synagogue Painter and His World discusses Jewish cultural and artistic migration from Eastern Europe to German lands in the first half of the eighteenth century. Focusing on Eliezer-Zusman of Brody, who painted synagogues in the Franconia area, hitherto neglected biographical aspects and work methods of religious artisans in Eastern and Central Europe during the early modern period are revealed. What begins as a study of synagogue paintings in Franconia presents an unexpectedly intensive glimpse into the lives and sacred products of painters at the periphery of Jewish Ashkenazi existence.
Table of ContentsForeword Acknowledgements List of Illustrations List of Plates 1 The Painter Eliezer-Zusman of Brody 1 Signature Formulas 2 Origin and Vocational Training 3 Status and Personal Life 4 Itinerary 2 Eliezer-Zusman at Work 1 Underpainting, Binding Materials, and Pigments 2 Preparation of the Substrate and Color Laying Order 3 Copying Models 4 Inscriptions 5 Planning and Layout of Compositions 6 Textual Sources of Painting Themes 3 Eliezer-Zusman’s Workshop—the Unterlimpurg and Steinbach Synagogues 1 Underpainting, Binding Materials, and Pigments 2 Preparation of the Substrate and Color Laying Order 3 Copying Visual Models: Bechhofen and Horb Synagogues 4 Shared Visual Models: Kirchheim Synagogue 5 Copying Visual Models: Miscellanea 6 Inscriptions 7 Planning and Layout of the Composition 8 Textual Sources of Painting Themes 9 Re-examination: The Attribution of the Unterlimpurg and Steinbach synagogue Paintings to Eliezer-Zusman 4 Eliezer-Zusman’s Workshop—the Colmberg Synagogue 1 Underpainting 2 Copying Models 3 Consistent Placement of Motifs within the Decoration 4 Re-examination: The Attribution of the Colmberg Synagogue Paintings to Eliezer-Zusman 5 Continuing the Tradition of Synagogue Interior Paintings in Southern Germany and Alsace in the Eighteenth Century 1 The Georgensgmünd Synagogue 2 The Odenbach Synagogue 3 The Traenheim Synagogue 4 The Horkheim Synagogue 5 Summary Epilogue Bibliography Plates Index of Names Index of Places
