Minneapolis Institute of Art

House of Prayer

Jacob Steinhardt

Date

1905 or 1921

Medium

Color woodcut

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

The men of a Jewish community enter the synagogue on a dark and chilly night. The stone building seems weathered but sturdy—built to last. The warm light coming from within reminds us of the dual function of a sanctuary, a holy place and a place of safety. This history of this print is a little unclear. This example is dated 1905, but some others says 1921. In either case, the image of ordinary working men coming to pray together takes on heartbreaking poignancy in light of the terrible fate suffered by German Jews in the following decades. The damaged condition of this print may reflect a desire to salvage a material scrap of an earlier time. Germany, Europe

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