Loading

Seemingly peaceful, this scene harbors dynamic undercurrents. It honors a political revolution and contains seeds of feminist action.

After Sabbath lunch, all take their customary nap, including the family cat. Grandmother, hair covered, reads a traditional prayer book for women. Through the doorway symbolically leading to the future, her modern, bareheaded granddaughter enjoys the latest novel. The portal is conspicuously inscribed with the date 1789. This salutes the French Revolution, whose philosophy of equality led to the dismantling of the ghetto and the emancipation of the Jews. Oppenheim's access to professional training in European art academies was a direct result of the civil rights that Jews gained under French occupation.

Details

  • Title: Sabbath Rest (Sabbath-Ruhe auf der Gasse)
  • Creator: Moritz Daniel Oppenheim
  • Date Created: 1866
  • Location: Germany, Europe
  • Physical Dimensions: 20 3/8 × 24 in. (51.8 × 61 cm)
  • 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)
  • Type: Paintings
  • Rights: https://thejewishmuseum.org/about-this-site#terms-conditions
  • External Link: View this object at thejewishmuseum.org
  • Medium: Oil on canvas

Get the app

Explore museums and play with Art Transfer, Pocket Galleries, Art Selfie, and more

Flash this QR Code to get the app
Google apps