Important Micrographic Engraving for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Composed by Levi Van Gelder. Hand-colored. With 13 original red and gold collage elements affixed to the engraving.

(MICROGRAPHY).

(New York, circa 1865)

Extensive use of Hebrew and English calligraphic text.

This hand-colored engraving is the most elaborate example of Levi van Gelder’s unique artistic style as a Jewish artist. Levi David Van Gelder (1816-78) was born in Amsterdam and immigrated to the United States around 1860. Prior to settling in New York, he had composed other calligraphic Mizrachs, but the present one was the first that incorporated not Dutch, but the English language, alongside the Hebrew. This extraordinary calligraphic engraving depicts almost one hundred historiated scenes of Biblical narratives, with related verses captioned below. Additionally, excerpts from the liturgy of the High Holy Days are also most finely penned. The text runs along the borders and throughout the print in striking decorative patterns. The inclusion of Masonic imagery in places is a testament to Van Gelder’s ties to the Freemasons and the general acceptance of Jews by Masonic lodges. Other examples of Masonic Mizrachs by van Gelder are known. The present example is particularly distinctive for the inclusion of fine hand-coloring, which now allows for the viewer to more fully appreciate how extraordinarily detailed this production indeed is. Literature: Alice M. Greenwald. The Masonic Mizrah and Lamp: Jewish Ritual Art as a Reflection of Cultural Assimilation. Jewish Journal of Art, Vol. 10, 1984 pp. 87-101. Jacob Katz. Jews and Freemasons in Europe (1970). Leila Avrin, Micrography as Art. (1981) Stanley Ferber, Micrography, A Jewish Art Form, Journal of Art III/IV, pp. 12-24. For another example sold at auction (although not hand-colored) see, Sotheby’s New York, Judaica, 13th December, 2006, Lot 201. Further detailed information listing the scores of historiated scenes that appear in this engraving, is available upon request.