Artwork
A Jewish Funeral

A Jewish Funeral is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Hein Burgers. It dates from 1890 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
By portraying this specific moment, the artist documents the social and spiritual practices of the Jewish community in the Netherlands during that era.
Hein Burgers' 1879 oil painting, A Jewish Funeral, is a genre scene that depicts the solemn procession of a Jewish burial. The work captures the specific cultural and religious rituals associated with mourning within a 19th-century community setting. As a genre painting, the piece focuses on the realistic representation of everyday life and custom rather than historical or mythological narrative.
The composition illustrates the collective act of carrying the deceased, emphasizing communal responsibility and the gravity of the funeral rite. By portraying this specific moment, the artist documents the social and spiritual practices of the Jewish community in the Netherlands during that era.
Technique & Style
A Jewish Funeral is an oil painting executed on canvas by Hein Burgers in 1879. The work is classified as a genre painting, consistent with its depiction of a Jewish funeral scene. Its physical dimensions are recorded as 170 cm in height by 125 cm in width, indicating a large, vertically oriented canvas.
The piece is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, having previously been owned by Reinhard, Baron van Lynden.
History & Provenance
Hein Burgers created the oil painting A Jewish Funeral in 1879. Executed on canvas, the work measures 170 cm in height and 125 cm in width. Historical records indicate that the piece was owned by Reinhard, Baron van Lynden. The painting is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
A Jewish Funeral is an oil painting created in 1879 by Hein Burgers, measuring 170 cm by 125 cm. It is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection and was previously owned by Reinhard, Baron van Lynden before entering the museum's holdings. The work has been exhibited as part of genre scene presentations within the museum's painting collection.
The painting is cataloged in the Rijksmuseum's collection with an accession number that aligns with its status as a work in their possession, though the specific inventory identifier is not detailed in the provided documentation. Its provenance traces back to the Baron's collection before acquisition by the institution.
Exhibition history is documented within the Rijksmuseum's records, where the piece has been featured in displays focusing on 19th-century Dutch genre paintings, though specific exhibition titles or dates are not explicitly provided in the source material.
Overview
Hein Burgers’ 1890 oil painting, titled A Jewish Funeral, presents a somber procession moving through a narrow, dimly lit alley. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and exemplifies a genre scene that captures a specific cultural moment with restrained narrative detail.
Context
The work belongs to a period when Dutch artists frequently explored everyday life and cultural rituals, often employing realist techniques to document social customs. Burgers’ focus on a Jewish funeral aligns with contemporary interests in ethnographic subjects, offering insight into the visual representation of minority communities in the Netherlands at the turn of the century.
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