also provided a forum for the artist to
Silver also contends that
explore biblical subjects.
Rembrandt's empathy for Jews may
The rabbi was one of the roughly
have originated from his Calvinist
200 male subjects Rembrandt painted.
roots. "Rembrandt was definitely
Curiously, given that they constituted
interested in building bridges between
just over 1 percent of Amsterdam's
Christians and Jews," Silver said. "But
population, scholars have estimated
that may have been due his desire to
that almost one-fifth of the artist's
hasten the arrival of the Messiah."
male subjects were Jewish.
Regardless of the reasons,
Linda Steinberg, former director of
Rembrandt's Jewish portraits serve as
the Jewish Museum San Francisco,
important historical documents.
said historical factors also contributed
According to Rembrandt biographer
to Rembrandt's choice of subjects.
Landsberger, "the Jewish fate, insofar
Many of the affluent Jews of
as facial expression has ever mirrored
Amsterdam considered portraiture a
it, has never been represented with
symbol of status and culture.
such authenticity and such grandeur as
However, Jews themselves did not
in Rembrandt's Jewish portraits."
paint portraits of one another. For
— Joshua Brandt
one, the Jewish commandment against
Jewish
Bulletin
of
Northern
California
committing idolatry was interpreted as
forbidding the creation of images.
Additionally, Steinberg points out
"Rembrandt: Masterpieces in
that even in relatively liberal 17th-cen-
Etching from the Morgan
tury Holland, anti-Semitism was
Library, New York," runs at the
ingrained. "Jews couldn't belong to
Detroit Institute of Arts through
guilds until the Age of
Jan.
2. $8 adults/ $4 ages 6-17.
Enlightenment," which began in the
(313)
833-4005.
18th century, she said. "Prior to that,
if Jews wanted a professional portrait
done, they commissioned gentiles."
Rembrandt was indeed a gentile.
But according to Larry Silver,
University of Pennsylvania professor of
Emmy Award-winning comic
art history, he was less righteous gen-
writer and actor Carl Reiner, who
tile than rebellious gentile.
closed out this year's JCC Book Fair
"Rembrandt wasn't exactly a pillar of with a well-attended appearance, will
the church commu-
receive the National
nity," Silver said.
Foundation for Jewish
For one thing, he
Culture's Second Annual
had a common-law
Alan King Award in
wife, and he was gen-
American Jewish Humor
erally thought of as
on Monday, Dec. 13.
pretty wild and weird
A star-studded tribute
within the Dutch
dinner in Reiner's honor
Reform community."
will be held in the Grand
However, Silver
Ballroom of New York's
concurs with many
Pierre Hotel. Comedian
Rembrandt scholars
Alan King, who received
on one point: He
the Inaugural Award in
believes the artist was
American Jewish Humor
a very spiritual man.
in 1998, will be master of
"Rembrandt was
ceremonies.
heavily influenced by
The Award in American
the Bible," Silver
Jewish Humor was created
said. "He was a very
in 1998 to honor the great
Honoree Carl Reiner
visual person, and
contributions Jewish
insisted on authentic-
comedians have made to
ity in his work. I
the field of classic American humor
guess a good analogy would be Cecil B.
and to the American Jewish experi-
DeMille and his biblical films. They
ence.
both painted broad, sweeping pictures."
Comedy Central's tribute to Alan
Rembrandt's drive for authenticity
King expressed it perfectly. "It's not
led him to import camels for his
until someone says to you, 'Quick,
paintings, according to Silver, and he
name a funny Episcopalian," that you
often used Jewish subjects because of
realize the impact Jewish humor has
their distinctive costumes and phys-
had on creativity and entertainment in
iognomy.
America."

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