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Purim has it all-power, romance, intrigue, and partying! This joyous holiday commemorates Queen Esther's triumph in saving the Jews of ancient Persia from annihilation. At home, Purim is celebrated with a family feast during which masked, itinerant students perform. Masquerading originated in Italy in the fifteenth century under the influence of the carnival.

Here, the meal has ended and sweets are being served. The man seated at right tastes one of the hamantashen, traditional three-cornered pastries named after Haman, the villain in the Book of Esther. During the retelling of the story, the child will shake her noisemaker to stifle Haman's name.

Source: The Jewish Museum, New York, 2000.

Details

  • Title: Purim (Feast of Esther) (Das Purim-Fest)
  • Creator: Moritz Daniel Oppenheim
  • Creator Lifespan: 1800 - 1882
  • Creator Nationality: German
  • Date Created: 1873
  • Location: Germany, Europe
  • Provenance: the artist's family (after 1866; sold to Hermann Cramer); Hermann Cramer, Frankfurt, Germany (until d. 1919); his wife, Hedwig Cramer, Frankfurt, Germany (1919-d. 1934); her son, Sally H. Cramer, Hamburg, Germany, later London, England (1934-d. 1952); his son, Robert Cramer (1952); [sale, ?London, England, about 1952]?.Oscar Gruss, New York, NY (until 1999)
  • Place Part Of: Europe
  • Physical Dimensions: w582 x h480 cm
  • Credit Line: Gift of the Oscar and Regina Gruss Charitable and Educational Foundation, Inc., 1999-96
  • Type: Paintings
  • Rights: https://thejewishmuseum.org/about-this-site#image-research-requests
  • Medium: Oil on canvas

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