Seforimchatter The Book of Esther In The Age Of Rembrandt (with Abigail Rapoport)
Mar 1, 2026
Abigail Rapoport, Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel curator of Judaica at the Jewish Museum, links Judaica with broader art history. She explores Rembrandt’s ties to Amsterdam’s Jewish community. She traces Esther as a shared muse across Dutch and Jewish art, illustrated Megillot and Purim rituals, and the exhibition’s archival discoveries and living traditions.
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Rembrandt's Amsterdam Was A Shared Cultural Space
- Rembrandt and Amsterdam's Jewish community intersected because artists and Jewish patrons lived and worked side by side in the same neighborhoods.
- Abigail Rapoport discovered Esther imagery across Judaica and Rembrandt's biblical art while curating Judaica alongside Dutch art history.
Esther Resonated As A Converso Origin Story
- For Portuguese conversos, Esther's concealment-and-revelation narrative resonated as a model of a hidden Jewess returning to visible Jewish life.
- Amsterdam's Sephardic patrons commissioned illustrated Megillot and lavish ceremonial silver that visualized Esther as their communal origin story.
Esther Became A Civic Symbol For The Dutch Republic
- Dutch artists equated Esther with civic freedom because the Dutch Revolt against Spain paralleled the Megillah's theme of deliverance.
- Pamphlets and theatrical productions linked Mordecai and Esther to Dutch independence and civic iconography.
