The Jewish Museum Announces Exhibition Featuring Manuscripts from England's Bodleian Library; Opens 9/14
By: Kelsey Denette Aug. 27, 2012
|
England's Bodleian Library at Oxford University, established by Sir Thomas Bodley in 1602 and now the largest of the University's group of 'Bodleian Libraries', is home to a collection of medieval Hebrew illuminated manuscripts. The Jewish Museum will present Crossing Borders: Manuscripts from the Bodleian Libraries from September 14, 2012 through February 3, 2013. This exhibition will feature over 60 works - Hebrew, Arabic, and Latin manuscripts - the majority of which have never been seen in the United States. Several paintings and printed books will also be on view.
In addition to viewing the actual illuminated manuscript, visitors will be able to look at digital images of every page of the Kennicott Bible and examine details on touchscreens in the exhibition gallery and on the Museum's website. Visitors will also be able to see images of several additional page openings for seven other manuscripts in Crossing Borders: Manuscripts from the Bodleian Libraries. This exhibition is based on Crossing Borders: Hebrew Manuscripts as a Meeting-place of Cultures co-curated by Piet van Boxel and Sabine Arndt for The Bodleian Library. The New York City presentation has been organized by The Jewish Museum's Curator Claudia Nahson. Scholar and diplomat Sir Thomas Bodley began establishing the Bodleian Library in 1598 after retiring as ambassador to Queen Elizabeth I and devoted the rest of his life to building its collection. Bodley in fact reopened the library room at Oxford that had been completed in 1488 to house a collection of manuscripts given by Duke Humfrey of Gloucester (1390-1447). But in 1550 during the Reformation, it was stripped and left abandoned. A staunch Protestant, whose family had fled England during Queen Mary's Catholic reign, Bodley was also a humanist and Christian Hebraist who viewed the creation of a Hebraica collection as integral to his vision for the new library. It would be housed in a masterpiece of English Gothic and Jacobean architecture, and is today one of the oldest libraries in Europe.
Composed of three thematic sections, the exhibition opens with three exquisitely illuminated Hebrew manuscripts representing the main European centers of medieval production - Ashkenaz, Sepharad and Italy. The first section deals with the interaction of Christians and Jews in the Middle Ages as expressed through the books they produced. Christians began using the codex or book in the late first century while Jews seem to have held fast to the roll format for a longer time. Leaves of the codex could be used on both sides and be made more portable, unlike scrolls, and thereby proved highly effective for spreading Christianity. In Latin texts it replaced the roll by the fourth century. On view is one of the two earliest Latin Gospel Books extant from the British Isles, dating to the late sixth or seventh century, and one of the earliest known Hebrew codices dating to the tenth century.
In the twelfth century Hebrew book production began to flourish in the three main regions of Europe where Jews had long been settled: Italy, Ashkenaz (Germany, parts of France, and England), and Sepharad (Spain and Portugal). The study and copying of Hebrew texts brought Jews and Christians together. Christian Hebraists sought the help of Jewish scholars as they made systematic comparisons of the Vulgate (Latin Bible) with the Hebrew Bible. In turn, Jewish scribes often commissioned Christian artists to illuminate sumptuous Hebrew manuscripts. A great cross-fertilization between Christians, Muslims and Jews occurred during the late Middle Ages in arts, sciences and the culture at large, which is the focus of the second section. Significant works by Greek, Muslim and Jewish authors were translated from Arabic to Latin, often with the help of Jewish scholars. Writings of famous ancient Greek thinkers like Aristotle, Hippocrates, Euclid and Ptolemy were suddenly available, making a world of ideas accessible to many in Europe for the first time. The most famous work in the show, the magnificent Kennicott Bible, is displayed in this section with its Islamic, Christian and popular motifs merging in one single work. A Jewish scribe and a Jewish artist created this beautifully illuminated manuscript in Corunna, Spain in 1476, almost two decades before the expulsion of the Jews from the Iberian Peninsula. The final section is devoted to understanding the Bodleian's Hebraica collection as an important sign of Christian Hebraism's resurgence in the sixteenth century. Exceptional examples of Hebrew manuscripts, all with stellar provenances, demonstrate the library's more than four-century-long commitment to Hebraica. Nicholas Hilliard's exquisite miniature portrait of Sir Thomas Bodley is paired with George Gower's stunning 1579 portrait of Queen Elizabeth I (reigned, 1558-1603) during whose rule the library was established. A great treasure is Queen Elizabeth's Book of Oxford presented to the Queen in 1566 upon her visit to Oxford. This book opens with a poem on the importance of Hebrew learning encouraging the Queen to continue the work of her father, Henry VIII, in supporting the study of the language at the university. And so it has been for over 450 years through a royally endowed position that ensures the study of Hebrew and Jewish culture and religion to this day.
The cross-cultural approach presented in Crossing Borders: Manuscripts from the Bodleian Libraries is very much in the spirit of Thomas Bodley's founding vision for his library. In his time as today, it transcends ideological and religious boundaries to create a broader framework within which the rich legacy of Christians, Muslims, and Jews can be better understood and appreciated. Audio Guide Produced by The Jewish Museum in association with Acoustiguide, a random access audio guide has been created forCrossing Borders: Manuscripts from the Bodleian Libraries. The audio guide includes a welcoming message from Claudia Gould, Helen Goldsmith Menschel Director of The Jewish Museum, and commentary by Jewish Museum curator Claudia Nahson; two experts from the Bodleian Libraries: César Merchán-Hamann, Hebraica and Judaica Curator, and Martin Kauffman, Curator of Medieval Manuscripts; as well as Leslie Smith, Senior Tutor at the Harris Manchester College in Oxford. Available to visitors for $5.00, the audio guide is made possible by Bloomberg. Related Programs The Jewish Museum is presenting a diverse array of thought-provoking conversations, discussions and performances related to the Crossing Bordersshow. Highlights include a Thursday, November 8 conversation with artist Shahzia Sikander and Dr. Kerry Boeye, Assistant Professor of Fine Arts at Loyola University, Maryland; and discussions in the exhibition galleries with artist Izhar Patkin on Thursday, September 27 and Kiki Smith and Alexander Nagel on Thursday, January 17. A complete schedule is available at TheJewishMuseum.org/bodleianprograms. |
||||||
|
This exhibition is based on Crossing Borders: Hebrew Manuscripts as a Meeting-place of Cultures, co-curated by Piet van Boxel and Sabine Arndt for The Bodleian Library, Oxford, United Kingdom, in 2009. The Jewish Museum presentation has been organized by Claudia Nahson, Curator, facilitated by the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies. Leadership support is provided by the David Berg Foundation. Generous support is provided by The Achelis Foundation and the Joseph Alexander Foundation, with additional in-kind support from George S. Blumenthal. This presentation is made possible with endowment support from The Jewish Museum Centennial Exhibition Fund and the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Exhibition Fund. About The Bodleian Libraries of the University of Oxford The Bodleian Libraries of the University of Oxford form the largest university library system in the United Kingdom. They include the principal University library-the Bodleian Library-which has been a library of legal deposit for 400 years; major research libraries; and libraries attached to faculties, departments and other institutions of the University. The Combined library collections number more than 11 million printed items, in addition to 30,000 e-journals and vast quantities of materials in other formats. The Old Bodleian is also a major visitor attraction, drawing over 300,000 visitors a year. More information about the Bodleian Libraries and their activities can be found at www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk. About The Jewish Museum Widely admired for its exhibitions and collections that inspire people of all backgrounds, The Jewish Museum is one of the world's preeminent institutions devoted to exploring the intersection of art and Jewish culture from ancient to modern times. The Jewish Museum organizes a diverse schedule of internationally acclaimed and award-winning temporary exhibitions as well as dynamic and engaging programs for families, adults, and school groups. The Museum was established in 1904, when Judge Mayer Sulzberger donated 26 ceremonial art objects to The Jewish Theological Seminary of America as the core of a museum collection. Today, a collection of 26,000 objects is maintained - paintings, sculpture, works on paper, photographs, archaeological artifacts, ceremonial objects, and broadcast media. The collection is among the three largest of its kind in the world and is distinguished by its breadth and quality. It is showcased in the vibrant, two-floor permanent exhibition, Culture and Continuity: The Jewish Journey, examining the Jewish experience as it has evolved from antiquity to the present. General Information The Jewish Museum is located at 1109 Fifth Avenue at 92nd Street, New York City. Museum hours are Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, 11am to 5:45pm; Thursday, 11am to 8pm; and Friday, 11am to 4pm. Museum admission is $12.00 for adults, $10.00 for senior citizens, $7.50 for students, free for children under 12 and Jewish Museum members. Admission is free on Saturdays. For information on The Jewish Museum, the public may call 212.423.3200 or visit the website at TheJewishMuseum.org. |
Play Broadway Games
 Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia? |
 Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank! |
 How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends. |
%20(1024%20×%20512%20px).png) Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day! |
Videos
