The Gates of Mercy, from the Moskowitz Rhine Mahzor

1340s

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

To evoke the earthly and heavenly Gates of Mercy, the artist adopted the vocabulary of the most imposing buildings he knew—the Gothic cathedrals of his homeland. A rose window and soaring spires ennoble the Hebrew blessing from the liturgy of the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). Angels with candles and clasped hands gather in witness, along with birds perched on the heights.

Artwork Details

Overview

Exhibition History

Title: The Gates of Mercy, from the Moskowitz Rhine Mahzor
Date: 1340s
Geography: Made in Northern Rhineland, Germany
Culture: German
Medium: Tempera, gold, and ink on parchment; 179 folios
Dimensions: 9 3/16 × 6 1/16 in. (23.3 × 15.4 cm)
179 fols.
Classification: Manuscripts and Illuminations
Credit Line: The National Library of Israel, Jerusalem (MS. Heb. 4°5214/1)
Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters