Erno Erb (1890 - 1943), Uriel Acosta and Judith van Straaten, 1923

oil, canvas; 65.3 x 99.5 cm;
Signed and dated p. d.: "Erb 923"

Provenance:
Private collection, Poland

Bibliography:
Malinowski J., "Malarstwo i rzeźba Żydów Polskich w XIX i XX wieku", Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warsaw 2000.

A travesty of Maurice Gottlieb's painting of the same title, painted in 1877. The original formerly belonged to the collection of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. The presented work by Erb is a unique composition in the oeuvre of the Lviv-based artist. Uriel Acosta and Judith van Straaten are the protagonists of Karl Gutzkov's drama, known in Poland from the first translation by Nikolai Boloz-Antonevich (the theatrical premiere took place in Lviv in 1849). Uriel is a historical figure with a dramatic history that ended with his death by suicide. He was a Jewish philosopher from a Christian family who preached the need to reform the principles of Judaism, for which he was condemned and persecuted. He was considered a heretic by both Christians and Jews. The scene of Uriel and Judith meeting, created by Erb almost fifty years after Gottlieb's famous painting, still captures the intimacy of the event well. Its idyllic nature, however, is apparent. The fates of the lovers, rejected by their fellows, do not entwine with a happy ending.