Archie Rand’s Biblical Art
Archie Rand’s “Aaron’s Sons” Image by Archie Rand/Aaron’s Sons
One of my greatest Jewish art surprises of 2016 came during a tour of two provocative Archie Rand exhibitions — “Sixty Paintings from the Bible” (1992) and “The Book of Judith” (2012) — at Cleveland State University with professor and curator Samantha Baskind. It’s not that Rand was a surprise to me — you may have heard of his series of 613 canvases, one per biblical commandment. And Baskind, who edits Pennsylvania State University Press’s “Jews and the Cultural Imagination” series, may be familiar to you, too. But here I was turning a corner in the gallery with Baskind at which point I found myself face to face with Rand’s painting of Joseph trying to flee as Potiphar’s wife dramatically tugs at his red cloak. “F—k me,” the speech bubble states. That’s not quite how the biblical text reads, but to Rand’s eye, it might as well. Where this exhibit drew upon centuries-old biblical drawings, which Rand treated with a bolder and more modern palette and drawing style, the Judith series draws upon classic pin-ups. Both decisions shed considerable light rather than detract from or disrespect the religious texts they portray.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
