Complex Identities: Jewish Consciousness and Modern Art Hardcover by Matthew Baigell (Ritgers University Press)

American and Israeli scholars examine how 19th and 20th century artists have responded to their jewishness through their art. 

Complex Identities is a joint effort by American and Israeli scholars who ask challenging questions about art as formed by society and ethnicity. Focusing on nineteenth– and twentieth–century European, American, and Israeli artists, the contributors delve into the many ways in which Jewish artists have responded to their Jewishness and to the societies in which they lived, and how these factors have influenced their art, their choice of subject matter, and presentation of their work.

The contributions reflect a broad range of contemporary art criticism drawn from the history of art, culture, and literature. By analyzing how Jewish experiences have depicted and shaped art, the collection begins to answer how art, in its turn, depicts and shapes Jewish experience. An introduction by the volume editors unifies the essays and gives a historical overview.

The contributors are Ziva Amishai-Maisels, Gannit Ankori, Matthew Baigell, Mira Goldfarb Berkowitz, Haya Friedberg, Sander L. Gilman, Milly Heyd, Norman L. Kleeblatt, Donald Kuspit, Diana L. Linden, Margaret Olin, Avigdor W. G. Posèq, Elisheva Revel-Neher, Harriet F. Senie, Andrew Weinstein