Viewing Rembrandt's Jewish Bride as a Dream of Religious Reconciliation

THE JEWISH NEWS
By Rebecca Wallersteiner

UNITED KINGDOM---More than 350 years after it was painted, Rembrandt’s "Jewish Bride"  remains an enigma. The portrait of a young couple as Isaac and Rebecca, better known as ‘The Jewish Bride’ 1665 depicts the couple’s tender affection for each other in a sympathetic depiction of this Old Testament pair. It is currently being shown at the National Gallery until January 18th, as part of the ‘Rembrandt: The Late Works’ exhibition and lent by the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. It is likely that this exquisite painting has hidden layers of meaning. Rembrandt was friends with Rabbi Manasseh Ben Israel, the founder of the Modern Jewish community in England, and it’s been suggested that he dreamt of reconciliation between the two religions. This picture may secretly represent this desire. [link]