Hunting Scenes in Medieval Jewish Art: Real, Imaginary and Symbolic

Term:  Second semester (March 3, 2024 – June 28, 2024)

Lecturer: Dr. Leor Jacobi

Type:  Zoom

Language of instruction: English

Time: Thursday 10:00-11:30 (Israel time) -- 9:00-10:30 (Central European Time)

Description: 

Students will engage with images of Medieval Jewish Art and analysis of them together with contemporary Art History Studies. They will develop historical appreciation of actual archaic hunting methods, recognition of the imaginary, fantastic, and grotesque. Students will develop awareness of symbolic levels of meaning and iconography, with an emphasis on Biblical scenes and Medieval Jewish-Christian relations.

We will examine hunting scenes as they are expressed in works of art made by Jews, for Jews, or about Jews in the Middle Ages, mostly in illuminated manuscripts. The textual background and the artistic means illustrating them will be examined and contemporary art history literature describing both general and specific medieval hunting scenes will be discussed.

Teaching aims:

• Introduction to selected works of Jewish and non-Jewish art
• Analysis of the religious, historical and geographic background of the paintings
• Isolation of the main iconographic themes
• Appreciation of the relationship between Jewish Art and Literature

Requirements: Review of images and literature before each course. Active participation in online course, including “group surfing” of Library image and literary databases. Final Exam. Exam 90%, Course Participation 10%

Application form (open until 30 September 2023)