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A Passover Haggadah
Artist: Leonard Baskin (American, 1922-2000)
Date: 1974
Dimensions:
Book: H: 14 1/4 in. (362 mm); W: 9 13/16 in. (250 mm); Depth: 3/4 in. (19 mm).
Page: H: 13 15/16 in. (354 mm); W: 9 5/8 in. (244 mm).
Medium: Reproductions: 20 photolithographs of watercolor drawings in colors, incl. jacket.
Text: letterpress (typefaces: Monotype Dante, Peninim 217M, Sonzino).
Paper: Mohawk Superfine white wove paper.
Classification: Books
Credit Line: Gift of Molly and Walter Bareiss
Object number: 1984.242
Label Text:Artist Leonard Baskin was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The son of an orthodox rabbi, it is no wonder that he developed an affinity for Old Testament themes in his art. However, he was not limited to biblical and religious themes—mythological figures, birds and animals, Native Americans, and figures of death also feature in his often large-scale woodcuts.
In 1942 Baskin founded the Gehenna Press, a small private press specializing in fine book production that issued more than a hundred handcrafted literary books, designed and often illustrated by Baskin himself. Along with his achievements as a bookmaker, Baskin was an accomplished sculptor, printmaker, and illustrator.
Leonard Baskin designed A Passover Haggadah with book jacket designer Jacqueline Schuman. It was edited by Rabbi Herbert Bronstein and includes an essay, “Preparing for the Seder,” by noted scholar W. Gunther Plaut.
The Haggadah
The Haggadah (Hebrew for “telling”) is a book of remembrance and redemption. Composed of Jewish blessings and prayers with passages from the Bible, Mishnah, and Midrash, the Haggadah serves as a guide of symbols, rituals, and recital during the Passover Seder. Passover is a great historic festival of the Jewish people delivered from slavery in ancient Egypt and is celebrated in the home during the intimacy of a family meal. The memory of the nation is revived during its celebration and hope is renewed. As historian Yosef Hayim Yerushalami explains, “The ancient redemption of Israel from Egypt is recounted and relived, not merely as an evocation from the past, but above all as prototype and surety for the ultimate redemption yet to come.”
In 1942 Baskin founded the Gehenna Press, a small private press specializing in fine book production that issued more than a hundred handcrafted literary books, designed and often illustrated by Baskin himself. Along with his achievements as a bookmaker, Baskin was an accomplished sculptor, printmaker, and illustrator.
Leonard Baskin designed A Passover Haggadah with book jacket designer Jacqueline Schuman. It was edited by Rabbi Herbert Bronstein and includes an essay, “Preparing for the Seder,” by noted scholar W. Gunther Plaut.
The Haggadah
The Haggadah (Hebrew for “telling”) is a book of remembrance and redemption. Composed of Jewish blessings and prayers with passages from the Bible, Mishnah, and Midrash, the Haggadah serves as a guide of symbols, rituals, and recital during the Passover Seder. Passover is a great historic festival of the Jewish people delivered from slavery in ancient Egypt and is celebrated in the home during the intimacy of a family meal. The memory of the nation is revived during its celebration and hope is renewed. As historian Yosef Hayim Yerushalami explains, “The ancient redemption of Israel from Egypt is recounted and relived, not merely as an evocation from the past, but above all as prototype and surety for the ultimate redemption yet to come.”
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