Bernard Picard

BERNARD PICARD, (Paris 1673 - Amsterdam 1733).
Dutch engraving from the beginning of the 18th century.
"La dedicace de la sinagogue des juifs portugais a Amsterdam."
Texts in French.
Dirt, damp stains, cracks, wrinkles and some tearing.
They were part of the book "Cérémonies et coutumes religieuses de tous les peuples du monde", which appeared from 1723 to 1743.
Measurements: 36 x 44 cm .
The engraving shows a moment of the inauguration of The Portuguese Synagogue of Amsterdam, which is a Sephardic synagogue of the XVII century. The Sephardic community of Amsterdam was one of the largest and wealthiest in Europe during the Dutch Golden Age, which is reflected in this large synagogue. The Portuguese synagogue has one of the oldest Jewish libraries in the world and is filled with original and rare texts. The synagogue impresses with its magnificent interior, marked by the grandeur of its centralized open space, the majesty of its stone columns, the upper side galleries for women and its valuable furnishings.
Bernard Picard was a French engraver. His father Etienne Picart was also an engraver. He moved to Antwerp in 1696, then spent a year in Amsterdam, before returning to France in late 1698. After his wife died in 1708, he moved to Amsterdam in 1711. Most of his work was illustrations of books, including the Bible and works by Ovid. His most famous work is Cérémonies et coutumes religieuses de tous les peuples du monde, which appeared from 1723 to 1743 and was an immense effort to record the religious rituals and beliefs of the world in all their diversity, as objectively and authentically as possible.