The White Crucifixion, by Marc Chagall (1938). It emphasizes the suffering of Jesus and the Jewish people. At the sides violent acts against Jews occur such as the burning of a synagogue and invaders. And in the center, Jesus is shown crucified wearing a prayer shawl as a symbol that he is Jewish. The work is startling as the crucifixion, often seen as a symbol of oppression by the Jewish people, is instead being used to represent their suffering. The painting was created in 1938 in Paris, in response to the Kristallnacht, the “Night of Broken Glass,” an anti-Jewish pogrom of official decree by propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels in Nazi Germany (including Austria and Sudetenland) from the 9th until the 10th of November 1938 (supposedly dedicated to Martin Luthers birthday). Many historians take the date of Kristallnacht as the beginning of the Holocaust, in that this was the first time Nazi security organs deliberately targeted Jews for death. Previously, laws had been passed removing German citizenship from Jews, restricting places they could go, and jobs they could do, but Kristallnacht was the first time state security personnel had orders to go out and kill certain Jews. Pope Francis, a well-established ally and friend of the Jewish people, considers the painting to be his favorite.
Posted on: Sat, 18 Jan 2014 15:26:51 +0000
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