Objects

The etching Interior of the Synagogue by Tarnów-born artist Jan Wojnarski depicts the interior of the Old Synagogue in Kraków. The composition enclosed in a vertical rectangle is divided into two planes. The elements of the first one are concentrated at the right edge of the image field and include two chandeliers. One chandelier is attached to an extension arm fixed to the wall, the other is hanging from the ceiling. The background is an Aron ha-Kodesh (sacred chest in which Torah scrolls are kept) framed in a decorative architectural setting, covered by a Torah Ark curtain (richly decorated). It is flanked by two semi-columns with fluted shafts standing on pedestals. Their capitals support an extensive pediment with a decorative top. A platform with stairs surrounded by a balustrade leads to the Aron ha-Kodesh. In the background (under the chandeliers) there is an amud (a lectern for a chazan) and a hanukkiah (a Hanukkah lamp). No signature.

Anna Filar