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Illumination in medieval Germany

Short sketch of the history of Ashkenazi Judaism Late Antiquity approaches to figurative Jewish painting, since the 6th century reversion to the Jewish prohibition of images In what was later Germany very large Bibles are popular among Christians.... show more

Short sketch of the history of Ashkenazi Judaism Late Antiquity approaches to figurative Jewish painting, since the 6th century reversion to the Jewish prohibition of images In what was later Germany very large Bibles are popular among Christians. The early Hebrew manuscript production reflects this trend. Christian illumination of books was practised in lay, urban workshops from the 13th century onwards, thus making it easy for Jews to have access to models. Christian books are used as pawns at Jewish money lenders. The Jewish prohibition of images and the disagreements about the human figure (see lecture Bible Images in Judaism): polemics against figurative images from the side of Rabbinic authorities One of the earliest examples of Ashkenazi manuscript tradition is the Ashkenazi Bible in the Biblioteca Ambrosiana (see Lecture Bible Images in Judaism), The Genesis Initials (The Fall): Adam and Eva are seen with covered faces and from behind. At the end of the Pentateuch there are more extensive illustrations on the book of Ruth, as well of the Righteous at the messianic banquet (eating of the Messianic animals Behemot, Leviathan and Ziz). Rashi Commentary in Munich: the oldest dated manuscript with illustrations, Würzburg 1233 (Visit of the three Angels to Abraham). The iconography of this Rashi Commentary is atypical, as otherwise only sketches of the temple plan are to be found in these texts. Regensburg Pentateuch (see Bible Images in Judaism). The giving of the Torah on Sinai. The mountain is put over the people like a bucket, an image that can be traced back to Rabbinic commentaries. The story of Esther, of Job, the temple objects (Aaron in the clothes of the High Priest lighting the Menorah). Question of whether the Regensburg Pentateuch was illuminated by Christian or Jewish painters (Robert Suckale). The close relationship to Rabbinic commentary suggests the latter. Micrography (massora figurata): especially popular in the German lands Schubert thinks that micrography also has to do with the bypassing of prohibition of images. Vatican Bible with micrographic hunting scene; Pentateuch in London A collection of Mahzor manuscripts: Worms Mahzor from Würzburg (1272, Representation of the Great Shabbat with the motif of Godly love seen as a couple) In addition to Passover, there is also a representation of the Seder meal (Worms Mahzor, Dresden Mahzor). Representation of the Shavuot in the Dresden Mahzor and the Worms Mahzor Leipzig Mahzor: the preparation of the Matzah and the persecution of the Israelites for the Passover liturgy, The giving of the Torah for Shavuot, the Shofar blower and the Binding of Isaac for the New Year’s Festival, Abraham in the fiery furnace of Nimrod at Yom Kippur The workshop of the scribe Hayyim on the Upper Rhine: The Schocken Bible, Tripartite Mahzor, Pentateuch of the Duke of Sussex Codex of the Christian Hebraist Reuchlin (15th century) De Castro Pentateuch Coburg Pentateuch (considerations on whether this manuscript originates from Coburg) Ashkenazi Haggadot: The Bird’s Head Haggadah (conceivably copied by the same scribe as the Leipzig Mahzor) with different ritual representations: the Seder meal, the bread of affliction, the eating of the bitter herbs, scenes related to the text, Biblical texts: the persecution of the Israelites by the Egyptians (these carry a flag with the Habsburg eagle, possibly an allusion to the persecution of Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg by Rudolf von Habsburg). Later Haggadot such as the Second Nurnberg Haggadah and the Yahuda Haggadah contain especially extensive cycles (the preparation of the Matzot, the cleaning of leavened foods, the bread of affliction; extensive series of Biblical scenes following the Bible text chronologically. These illustrations are indebted to Rabbinic Commentaries (for instance Joseph as the Pharaoh’s viceroy riding on a horse, the childhood story of Moses, where the Pharaoh’s daughter is seen with a supernaturally outstretched arm; Zipporah cares for Moses in captivity; the saving of Moses from death on the way to Egypt and the circumcision of his son). The embedding of these scenes in Midrash literature possibly refers to earlier Jewish models (reference to David Kaufmann, who observes that Johann Christoph Wagenseil had seen a fragment of a Jewish illustrated manuscript). These Haggadah illustrations serve for the edification and entertainment of women and children during the reading of the Haggadah at the Seder meal. (Translator: Joan Avery) The Corresponding illustrations, selected by the Center of Jewish Art (Hebrew University, Jerusalem), can be found here: http://phaidra.univie.ac.at/detail_object/o:525989
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Kurt und Ursula Schubert Archiv

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