Moses’ Death

Joseph Mendes da Costa

1928–1938

Sculpture of bearded man wearing shawl, with mouth open and hands clasped.
Mendes da Costa was best known for the reliefs he sculpted for buildings in Amsterdam (many of which were figures of animals) in the style of the Niewe Kunst, the Dutch variant of Art Nouveau. But he also made small earthenware sculptures inspired by the Bible, such as this one, entitled Moses’ Death. He first learned how to carve from his father, a tombstone maker.

Credits

Collection Jewish Historical Museum, Amsterdam.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 8.

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Creator Bio

Joseph Mendes da Costa

1863–1939

The sculptor and ceramicist Joseph Mendes da Costa was born in Amsterdam, the son of the sculptor Moses Mendes da Costa. He was taught by his father initially and later enrolled in art school. He was known for his sculpted ornaments and reliefs for buildings, many of which featured owls and monkeys (they were also prominent in his smaller sculptures and bronze work). His small statuettes were often inspired by the Bible or by the daily life of Jews in Amsterdam.

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