March 17, 2025

 The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt at Jewish Museum, March 7 – August 10, 2025

“This spring, the Jewish Museum presents a major exhibition examining how the heroic story of Queen Esther served as a popular source of inspiration for Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1609) and his contemporaries in 17th-century Netherlands. Featuring over 120 works, including paintings, prints, and drawings by Rembrandt, Aert de Gelder, and Jan Steen, among others, as well as Jewish ceremonial art and decorative objects, The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt illustrates how the story of the biblical queen influenced Dutch art and culture and represented an enduring symbol of triumph over adversity at a time of vibrant cultural exchange.” —Jewish Museum

“The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt explores the universality of a biblical story that has inspired an artistic dialogue among cultures and communities throughout world history, and especially in Rembrandt’s time,” said James S. Snyder, Helen Goldsmith Menschel Director. “As an art museum that explores the rich texture of Jewish experience in the global diaspora and within broader cultural contexts, we hope that this exhibition will encourage audiences of all backgrounds to experience these masterworks and to reflect on the ways in which they demonstrate our shared humanity.” 

Rembrandt van Rijn. A Jewish Heroine from the Hebrew Bible, 1632-1633. Oil on canvas. 109.2 x 94.4 cm. National Gallery of Canada, purchased 1953.
Frans Francken the Younger, Esther before Ahasuerus, 1622. Oil on panel, 29 x 44 in. (75.2 x 112.7 cm). Salomon Lilian, Amsterdam. Image courtesy of the Leiden Collection, New York
Geldorp Gortzius, Esther and Ahasuerus, 1612. Oil on panel, 22 x 28 in. (56.5 x 72.4 cm). Leiden Collection, New York
Salom Italia, Esther Scroll, Amsterdam, 1640s. Printed and hand-colored border, handwritten text, ink, and gouache on parchment, scroll height: 4 in. (10.1 cm), with carved ivory and silk roller, height: 9 in. (22.9 cm). Jewish Museum London
The Feast of Esther, c.1625 by Lievens, Jan the Elder (1607-74); 130.8×163.8 cm; North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, USA; (add.info.: .); Purchased with funds from the State of Jan Lievens, The Feast of Esther, c. 1625. Oil on canvas, 51 x 64 in. (130.8 x 163.8 cm). North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, Purchased with funds from the State of North Carolina. North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh / Bridgeman Images

“Queen Esther’s story about resilience and courage in the face of persecution resonated widely in 17th-century Netherlands when Amsterdam became a safe haven for many,” said Abigail Rapoport, Curator of Judaica. “This exhibition explores how artists and patrons in Rembrandt’s time—Jewish and Christian—shaped imagery based on the Book of Esther, imagining the heroic Queen Esther as their own, as a young woman who gave voice to the voiceless at the risk of her safety. And Rembrandt’s talent for capturing human emotion imbued Esther with that much more meaning in his time.”

The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt, co-organized with the North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, will be on view at the Jewish Museum from March 7 through August 10, 2025. It will travel to North Carolina in September 2025, and a condensed version will be presented at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, opening in August 2026.  

The exhibition is curated by Abigail Rapoport, Curator of Judaica at the Jewish Museum, and Michele L. Frederick, Curator of European Art at the North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh. The exhibition at the Jewish Museum is designed by Solomonoff Architecture Studio with graphic design by Studio LHOOQ.

Images courtesy Jewish Museum.