Around Jewish Art: A Dictionary of Painters, Sculpters and Photographers

Around Jewish Art: A Dictionary of Painters, Sculptors, and Photographers is likely to serve as a resource and permanent fixture for art enthusiasts and scholars around the world. From photographers to painters to sculptors, this comprehensive biographical dictionary references thousands of artists, both Jewish and non-Jewish who, by their depiction of the Jewish experience in their art, have contributed to the advancement of the culture. Around Jewish Art contains a listing of 6,400 artists organized into five alphabetical sections: artists of Jewish lineage who have addressed Judaic and biblical themes, artists of non-Jewish lineage who also have worked with Judaic themes, non-Jewish artists who dealt with non-Judaic subjects, sculptors, and holocaust victims. Over five hundred of these artists are American. Entries are frequently accompanied by brief biographical sketches, and hundreds of examples illustrate the book. A supplementary price list accompanies it. Darmon also provides an insightful analysis of what constitutes Jewish art. According to the editor, not all Jewish art deals with overtly Judaic themes. He points out that many paintings by Jewish artists are infused with a feeling -- perhaps the result of a long history of religious persecution -- which all Jews directly or indirectly share. Indeed, Around Jewish Art is dedicated to those artists who died in the Holocaust and includes listings of more than 400 artists who were murdered in ghettos or Nazi concentration camps. Darmon’s definitions will likely challenge readers’ understanding of certain artists and their artistic contributions and place in history. In referencing thousands of broadly-defined Jewish artists -- including household names like Dali and Chagall along with lesser-known ones -- the editor touches on the very meaning of Jewish art and certainly its indelible impact on our world.