Service in the Great Synagogue to Mark the Tercentenary of the Ashkenazi Community on 14 November 1935

Martin Monnickendam

1935

Painting of men wearing top hats seated and standing in crowded, decorated room with columns and Torah ark in background.
The first Ashkenazi Jews to settle in Amsterdam, refugees from the Chmielnicki uprising in Poland and the Thirty Years War, initially joined the Sephardi congregation there. In 1671, they established a synagogue of their own, later known as the Great Synagogue. Close to three hundred years later, Monnickendam depicted this celebration of its tercentenary. Monnickendam was known for his paintings depicting crowds of people. He painted with a bright, vivid palette and was a prolific artist, with over four thousand works credited to him.

Credits

Service in the Great Synagogue to Mark the Tercentenary of the Ashkenazi Community on 14 November 1935. Collection Jewish Historical Museum, Amsterdam.

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

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Creator Bio

Martin Monnickendam

1874–1943

The artist Martin Monnickendam was born in Amsterdam, where he was educated and lived his entire life. He was prolific, with more than four thousand known works, and a master of many genres, including oil, watercolor, pastel, drawing, etching, and poster. He also produced illustrations for newspapers and magazines. He is best known for his theater paintings, which focus on the patrons in their seats rather than the actors on the stage. He died a natural death in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam.

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