Purim

by Delaynna Trim, Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art Curator

There are several religious holidays in March this year. For many Christians, Ash Wednesday, March 5, starts the season of Lent, where many Christians will fast or abstain from meat or other foods. Ramadan, a month of fasting, prayer, and charity giving in the Islamic tradition starts this year on March 1. Purim, the Jewish holiday that celebrates when Esther interceded with the King on behalf of the Jewish people, is March 13-14 this year.

Esther Before Ahasuerus by Barbieri

In fact, the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art has a great painting illustrating this moment, Esther before Ahasuerus by Giovanni Barbieri. This piece was created in the Baroque era, so there is a lot of emotion being shown. It depicts the moment that Esther has burst into the King’s chamber unrequested. He can have her killed for doing this, but instead he is pointing his scepter at her showing that she is safe. At the same time, he has his hand over his heart showing that he is doing this because he loves her. With the heightened emotions of that moment, Esther faints and is caught by her ladies-in-waiting. In the moments after this, Esther asks for the king to save the Jews and shows that Haman was to blame. Since the king loves her, he believes her and ends up hanging Haman for his crimes.

The name Ahasuerus is used for three different kings in the Hebrew Bible, including the one who marries Esther. Many historians believe the Ahasuerus from book of Esther is Xerxes I as his empire as described in the Bible matches the Achaemenid empire over which Xerxes ruled.

Giovanni Francesco Barbieri is also known by his nickname, Guercino, which means squinty eyed one. He was born into a family of peasant farmers in Cento, Italy. When he was 16, he was apprenticed to the painter Benedetto Gennari. He worked for Pope Gregory XV and others in Rome from 1621-1623. After Pope Gregory XV’s death in 1623, he returned to Cento. He continued to work until his death in 1666 in Bologna.

The painting by Barbieri is not the only piece that the museum has depicting this scene. There is an etching by Francesco Bartolozzi and a similar one by Robert Strange both based on Guercino’s painting. This was fairly common to create etchings or engravings based on well known works. This allowed more people to own and enjoy the artwork. Bartolozzi’s is more loosely based on his painting or Guercino could have created several paintings of the same subject matter which was also very common.  Bartolozzi and Strange created their copies over 100 years after the original painting was created.

Esther Before Ahasuerus by Robert Strange

Esther by Bartolozzi

Purim is a Jewish holiday that is celebrated by listening to the Book of Esther (Megillat Esther), eating a festive meal, giving gifts of food to friends (mishloach manot), and giving to those in need (matanot l’evyonim). Purim is celebrated on the 14th day of Adar, the second month of the Hebrew calendar. The Jewish calendar is a lunisolar calendar because it combines monthly lunar cycles with the solar year. One of the traditions is that while reading the Book of Esther, people will make noise every time Haman’s name is mentioned. 

Discover how to create a noisemaker out of cups and other craft ideas for Purim by checking out www.mgmoa.org/art-projects.

Supplies:

2 Plastic cups

Dried Beans or beads

Popsicle stick

Hot glue or other glue

Stickers

markers

1. Fill one of the cups ¼ full of dried beans, beads, or anything else that will make a noise when shaken. 

2. Attach the end of the popsicle stick to the edge of one of the cups with hot glue or other strong glue, then glue the other cup on so that the beans/beads can flow freely between the cups. Strong tape like duct tape can also work for this.

3. Decorate with stickers, markers, paint, etc