2008-09
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/31/2008
A direct descendant of a prominent Colonial New York Jewish family, he was chosen in 1768 to lead Congregation Shearith Israel of N.Y. City, to present-day the oldest and the very first formed (in 1654) Jewish congregation in America. As the "Hazzan" (Cantor) of that venerable congregation he conducted and led all public services and was the first to preach in English in a synagogue. An ardent Revolutionary patriot, he refused to offer prayers for King George III or to fly the British flag over the temple when the British defeated General Washington in N.Y. August 1776. Seixas fled N.Y. for Philadelphia where his significant exertions helped establish their noted Congr. Mickve Israel; upon its opening he invoked the blessings of God on the American Congress and Gen'l Washington. At war's end he returned to N.Y. and his congregation, subsequently invited to attend Washington's inauguration as President. This extremely important, historical and rare miniature portrait of Seixas painted on ivory (3 x 3 ½); mounted in its gilt finished, delicate brass frame which is inset in a larger wood outer panel (5 x 6 overall). Condition very fine. Portrait is widely known and is illustrated and described in numerous respected works on American Judaism and been displayed in prominent museum exhibitions. A fine color illustration of it is seen in the prestigious catalog of the exhibition by the "BETH HATEFUTSOTH MUSEUM OF THE JEWISH DIASPORA" in Tel Aviv, Israel in 1986-87 "IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF COLUMBUS; JEWS IN AMERICA 1654-1880."Also well illustrated and described in the notable exhibition and catalog of "FACING THE NEW WORLD; JEWISH PORTRAITS IN COLONIAL AND FEDERAL AMERICA" held 1997-98 by the Jewish Museum of New York. The portrait is prominently featured as the full page frontispiece in the 2004 published "REMNANTS OF ISRAEL; A PORTRAIT OF AMERICA'S FIRST JEWISH CONGREGATION, SHEARITH ISRAEL" by Rabbi Marc D. Angel, N.Y. and again illustrated in the text of that same work. It is also to be seen in "THE SEIXAS-KURSHEEDTS AND THE LIVES OF EARLY AMERICAN JEWRY" by K. Lebow pub. by A.J.H.S., 2001; and more recently illustrated and described in the widely reviewed work by Prof. J. D. Sarna, "AMERICAN JUDAISM; A HISTORY," Yale Univ. Press, 2004. (Color photostats of all works mentioned accompany painting). For past two years this miniature portrait has been illustrated by the American Jewish Historical Society on their website in their "Database of Early American Jewish Portraits". There is much more to the biography of Gershom Mendes Seixas. Painting was acquired originally in 1960 as a gift from a direct descendant of Seixas to the noted Jewish-American historian Maxwell Whiteman (author of the classic reference "History of Jews of Philadelphia") pub. by J. P. S. 1957; also "Isaac Leeser and the Jews of Philadelphia" pub. by A.J.H.S. 1959 and numerous monographs and articles on Judaism. Painting was subsequently acquired directly from Mr. Whiteman in 1991 by present owner. An immensely significant American Judaic rarity.
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