The Funeral of the Five Victims

Aleksander Lesser

1861

Painting of men carrying coffins of victims as men and women bow, with bishop and clergy looking on from hill.
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Creator Bio

Aleksander Lesser

1814–1884

Born into a wealthy family of Warsaw bankers and merchants, Aleksander Lesser studied in Warsaw, Dresden, and Munich. He made his reputation as a painter of Polish historical and Christian religious subjects. In the 1860s, Lesser became one of the first artists to depict scenes from the history of Polish Jewry. He is most known for his painting of a contemporary event: The Funeral of the Five Victims shows a cross section of Polish society (Catholics, Protestants, and Jews) at the funeral for protesters who were shot by police during a patriotic demonstration in Warsaw on March 2, 1861.

Related Guide

Painters, Sculptors, and Photographers, 1750–1880

All over the world, Jewish art reflected the hybrid nature of Jewishness, including the material circumstances and cultural milieu of the larger environment. Individual artisans and artists selected and created according to their personal and Jewish experiences.

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