Describe the characteristics of the Tombs in this artwork's Subject and symbols.
Ruisdael's paintings depict tombs he would have observed when visiting Beth Hamin. (Michael Zell writes that  "Ruisdael focuses on a corner of the cemetery, isolating four of the oldest, most unusual and most conspicuous Sephardi tombs" with "illegible pseudo-Hebraic inscriptions.") They marked the remains of the first Portuguese settlers in Amsterdam at the time, many of whom were from old families that had obtained wealth and noble titles before coming to Amsterdam. In the illuminated white marble tombstone, adorned with a large stone box and colorful cap, lie the remains of Elias (or Eliahu) Montalto. Dr. Montalto was physician to Maria de' Medici, and upon his death in 1616 his remains were brought to Ouderkerk for burial. Inscribed on the marble slab are Hebrew block letters. Montalto's first name is spelled out in an acrostic poem on the vertical rear plate.In both versions of the painting, Ruisdael shows  Montalto's tomb with light concentrated over it, as if that light is breaking through from the heavens to shine on his resting place. The shape and style of the tomb align with the style seen in the Levant, and not typical of tombs found in Holland. The carver of the tomb is unknown but it is likely that it was created in another country before being brought to Beth Haim. Ruisdael reproduced the oldest tombs in his works, shown in accord with the Old Testament belief that it was not proper to have images on tombs. Instead these grave sites are inscribed with Hebrew writing. In the painting, David Farrar's grave is barely visible behind Montalto's tomb—as a simple headpiece and a plain stone slab.In the sarcophagus next to Montalto there is a carved cover made of red marble that bedecks Issac Uziel grave; the tomb is adorned with a veil of red-speckled marble, of symbolic significance. Uziel is presumed to have arrived in Amsterdam around 1615 and was the Haham, or Chief Rabbi, of the second community from 1617 to 1622 when he died. He was also a well known scholar of Hebrew, and likely taught the new immigrants much about Judaism. So respected when he died, it was decided that his tomb would require no inscription, as the greatness of his tomb would speak for the reputation of the man.Alongside Uziel, to the right, is the largest tomb of the group, belonging to Abraham Israel Mendez. This tomb is described as having an impressive height and "prismatic simplicity." Mendez was on of the third Portuguese-Jewish community's governors and the inscription on his memorial describes him as "highly esteemed". On one side of the block the Mendez coat of arms appears, though barely legible and not depicted with any detail in the painting.A dark tomb with a half-cylindrical column erected on top of the graves in the far left corner of the painting, separated from the other graves by a rushing stream and a broken, fallen bridge-like tree, dedicated to Abraham Franco Mendes o Velho ("the old one" in Portuguese). (He was also known as Abraham Franco O. Velho or Melchior Franco Mendez). In the painting, Ruisdael located the black stone tomb on the left edge, on the other side of the brook, although it was actually placed in front of the other three tombs at Beth Haim: Ruisdael's choice would have been for  composition and coloration. Viewers eyes would be led to the tomb, as they follow the curves of the dead tree and eventually end up in front of the Mendez tomb. His tomb appears to be significant, as Ruisdael signed the horizontally lying half-column that crowned his grave. This half-column is thought to be the column that once decorated the top of the stone slab that was placed over the tombs of Mendez Velho and three other members of his family, linking them all together. The stone slab cracked around 1676 and the column fell off and was later made visible above ground, which is what Ruisdael captures in his paintings and prints, though he has placed it on the opposite side.Also noted in Ruisdael's composition is what in the actual cemetery is a wooden post—presented in one of the Teylers drawings as a signpost, and in the Detroit painting as a stump, while in the Dresden version left out altogether. This wooden post would have been found near the tomb of Jacob Pereyra, itself a flat marble slab seen in both paintings and the drawing. Pereyra's grave appears decorated with a medallion encompassing a coat of arms. He reserved his tomb's location specifically for its proximity to the other three tombs. The tomb and signpost were both created move than half a century before his death.Near these prominent tombs lies another burial site for a man of social prominence, Don Samuel Palache. Palache came to Amsterdam as an ambassador for Muley Sidan, the king of Morocco. In Beth Haim the actual tomb comprises a slab decorated with a coat of arms consisting of lion and a coronet, along with Hebrew inscriptions detailing his rank and notable accomplishments. In Ruisdael's painting the tomb appears to be away from the other three graves, placed on the other side of the brook, at the left of the painting. The lower edge of the tomb is in the water and instead of the detailed coat of arms that adorns Palache's actual grave, the painting shows merely a letter sign, similar to a 'Y'. Some scholars have interpreted this as Ruisdael's way of signifying death's inevitability, and that regardless of one's status or wealth, there is no protection from death.In the center of the composition, a pair of white tombs are flanked by the figures of three mourners—a Jewish family, including a father, mother, and boy, dressed in black, and reflected in the middle distance by the lids of two elongated pyramids. These tombs have been identified by Zwarts based on the Portuguese inscriptions, as belonging to Rafael Hiskias Athias and his wife Raquel.
Maria de' Medici Ouderkerk Amsterdam Haham ambassador sarcophagus Hebrew Beth Haim Levant Old Testament Muley Sidan Dresden Issac Uziel Abraham Franco Mendes Sephardi acrostic Elias (or Eliahu) Montalto left column