LibGuides: Jewish Studies: Art and Material Culture

Books and Journals

Books

Jewish Art by George C. Grossman; Grace C. Grossman; Andre Grossman
Call Number: Scott Stacks N 7417 G75 1995
ISBN: 0883636956
Superbly illustrated, Jewish Art presents a sweeping panorama of three thousands years of artistic creativity accompanied by informative and thought-provoking text.
Jewish Art in America by Matthew Baigell
Call Number: Scott Stacks N 6538 J4 B347 2007
ISBN: 9780742546400
The Nation Without Art : examining modern discourses on Jewish art by Margaret Olin
Call Number: Scott Stacks N 7415 O45 2001
ISBN: 080323564X
Looking through the history of art, a reader might conclude that Jews could not create art--and such an assumption, historically incorrect, would be no accident. As we see with disturbing clarity in this book, the discipline of art history encourages the idea of the nonartistic Jew. Covering the last two centuries, The Nation without Art illuminates the rise of the paradigm of the non-artistic Jew and expresses the ways in which theorists, critics, and artists have sought to subvert, overcome, or work within it.
Encyclopedia of Modern Jewish Culture by Glenda Abramson (Editor)
The Encyclopedia of Modern Jewish Culture is an updated revision of the Companion to Jewish Culture published in 1989. Experts from all over the world contribute entries ranging from 200 to 1000 words broadly, covering the humanities, arts, social sciences, sport and popular culture.

Journals

Ars Judaica : the Bar-Ilan journal of Jewish art.
Showcases the Jewish contribution to the visual arts and architecture from antiquity to the present from a variety of perspectives, including history, iconography, semiotics, psychology, sociology, and folklore.
Images: a journal of Jewish art and visual culture
Presents articles on Jewish art and visual culture, ranging in time from Greco-Roman antiquity to the present day.
Jewish art
In print only. Holdings: 1986 - 1998
Articles examine the historical connections of Jewish art to Christian and Islamic art, as well as to the local styles and cultures wherever it flourished. Most articles are in English, with a few appearing in other European languages.

Databases & Online resources

The Center for Jewish Art at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Center's archives and collections constitute the largest and most comprehensive body of information on Jewish art in existence, with approximately 200,000 pictures, sketches and documents.
Judaica Index
More than 200 Jewish ritual objects, searchable in 15 languages by name or keyword. Each record includes a definition, images and a bibliography.
Israel Art Guide
A listing thousands of Israeli artists. Includes fine arts, judaica, ceramics, jewelry, crafts, photography, and other media.
Hebrew University Center for Jewish Art
The Center for Jewish Art (CJA) is a research institute at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, devoted to the documentation and research of Jewish visual culture. Established in 1979, it documented and researched objects of Jewish art in ca. 800 museums, libraries, private collections and synagogues in 41 countries.
Photographs: Harvard University Judaica Digital Collection materials
5.5 million photographs available.
Jewish Latin Art
Hosts works by and information about Jewish artists of Latin America. Includes drawing, painting, sculpture, tapestries and installations.
Jewish Art and Life at the Israel Museum
Presents the religious and secular material culture of Jewish communities worldwide, spanning from the Middle Ages to the present day. Objects on display were created and/or used by Jews from various parts of the world, such as North Africa, Central Asia, Europe and Israel. Includes the Stieglitz Collection (mostly Judaica/ritual objects, and some fine art), ketubot (marriage contracts), and WWII provenance research (Nazi-looted materials stolen from Jews during WWII).
Grove Art Online
The foremost scholarly art encyclopedia, covering both Western and non-Western art. and a comprehensive online reference resource for all aspects of the visual arts worldwide from prehistory to the present day. Includes more than 7,000 searchable images from such organizations as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as 40,000 editorially selected image links to museums and galleries.