In this artwork, how is the Themes and motifs discussed?
There are many characteristics that create a somber tone within this painting. Author Jonathan Boyarin described motifs present in the image as “sadness, nostalgia, and beautification. There is no religious ecstasy, no intensity of emotion, only a pervasive melancholy.” The holiday of Yom Kippur is a solemn holiday when it is said that the Book of Life is sealed, and the fates of all those living are decided for the coming year. Certainly this aspect of the occasion would contribute to the sobriety of its depiction.
The somber character of the painting may also reflect the time in which it was painted. During the late 19th century, Jews in what is now Ukraine were living under the auspices of the Russian Empire, in the Pale of Settlement. Antisemitic discrimination was systemic and everpresent, and pogroms and expulsions occurred. Living under this regime in a time of deep antisemitic discrimination and political instability may have had a major impact on Gottlieb's work.
However, the painting may also evoke the anguish Gottlieb experienced in his personal life. Gottlieb may have suffered from depression, and in fact referenced his own suicide in the painting. The mantle of the Torah scroll is inscribed with a Hebrew dedication: "... donated in memory of ... R. Moshe [Maurycy’s Hebrew name] Gottlieb, the righteous of blessed memory." A year after the painting's completion, the aforementioned Laura married another man, breaking her engagement with Gottlieb. He became ill and died shortly thereafter; some believe as a result of physical ailment, but others suspect it was death by suicide due to deep depression.
Yom Kippur Pale of Settlement pogrom Hebrew name expulsions Torah scroll Ukraine Jews