T 1:30pm-4:20pm (seminar)
JSIS 495
Instructor: Visiting Professor Shalom Sabar

Living between Christianity and Islam, the Jews of Medieval Spain and Portugal created a unique artistic culture in which the visual traditions of the three monotheistic religions mixed in a most captivating way. In this seminar we will consider the origins and characteristics of Sephardi culture, its reflection in daily and religious life, and its distinctness from other contemporary Jewish cultures (particularly in Ashkenaz and Islamic lands). Were these traditions preserved after the Jews’ expulsion from Spain in 1492? We will also examine how Sephardi culture and art were transformed, shaped, and re-shaped in the new capitals established by the exiled Sephardim, such as Venice, Istanbul, Salonika, Amsterdam, and Tetuan.