The Festival of Purim (La fête de Purim); Interior of the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam
Medium
Etching and engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 17 5/16 × 20 11/16 in. (44 × 52.5 cm) Plate: 13 9/16 × 16 5/8 in. (34.5 × 42.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Arthur H. Elkind, in celebration of the Museum’s 150th Anniversary, 2020
Accession Number
2020.272
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the bustling heart of 18th-century Amsterdam, *The Festival of Purim (La fête de Purim); Interior of the Portuguese Synagogue* captures a joyous moment inside one of the city's grandest Sephardic synagogues. Created in 1737 by Dutch engravers Louis Fabritius Dubourg and Balthasar Bernaerts through meticulous etching and engraving, this print (measuring about 17 x 20 inches) vividly renders the cavernous interior during the exuberant Jewish holiday of Purim. The technique—combining etched lines for texture with engraved details for precision—allowed for intricate depictions of architecture, ...