Interior of a Synagogue
c. 1725–35
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
unframed: 122 × 148.5 cm · framed: 140.5 × 167.5 × 6 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
European Painting and Sculpture
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1930.22
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
About this artwork
The Jewish synagogue was among Magnasco's most frequently painted subjects, here presented in a mystical and imaginative way. Expansive architectural space creates room for a multitude of tiny, fantastical figures with elongated limbs. These characters respond to the service with emotion and expressive gestures. Flashes of light dash across the surface against a dark, muted palette of earthy tones suggesting an otherworldly presence. The composition invites the viewer to enter the space and expe...