Auction 45
Lot 083:
Engraving from the series of books, “Religious Rituals and Customs”, by Jean Frederick Bernard and the engraver Bernard Picart. The engraving shows the Simchat Torah holiday in a Dutch-Jewish synagogue. In the original there was another companion engraving on the same page but this one has here been taken alone. 21.5×16.5cm. Overall good condition. Tears in the margins. “Religious Rituals and Customs of All the Nations” was a famous work and important piece in the study of history, by the editor and writer and printer Jean Frederick Bernard and the illustrator Bernard Picart (or Picard), one of the most important engraving artists of the 18th century, Jean Frederick Bernard chose to remain anonymous, so most of the praise for the work went to Picart. The book seeks to describe what is happening among the various religions, and without prejudice, with the aim of promoting tolerance between peoples and putting an end to the tensions and wars that were their lot during this period. Picart himself was close to the Portuguese Jewish community in Amsterdam, and even opened his work there, as evidenced by his diverse works such as the famous engraving – Purim in the synagogue and more.
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