Interior of a Synagogue

Alessandro Magnasco’s The Synagogue (c. 1719-1725) is one of the most unusual examples of religious art in early eighteenth century Italy. The piece was created during Magnasco’s second period in Milan, and was painted under the patronage of Count Gerolamo di Colloredo (Governor of Lombardy, Austria, 1719-1725). This collection of pieces focused on various religious rituals and social aspects outside of the typical Catholic religion. He returned to themes such as the Franciscan Refectory, Capuchin Library, Quaker Meetings and Jewish Prayer. The Synagogue is an interesting example of this because it lacks any of the typical religious triumphalism and mocking that would be associated with a Baroque religious piece. Instead, Magnasco seems to focus more on the individual congregation. There is a sense of detachment from them, however we can see that he has a real interest in connecting with the congregation. We can see the energy of the figures moving around, the passion they have in participating in this service, and the atmosphere created within the congregation. The large vaulted ceiling dominates the composition; the cool greys and browns used in the masonry gives the painting a very unique feel. Stairways lead up and down the building and arch shaped windows allow us to see glimpses of the pale evening sky. The congregation seem to be full of energy. There is constant movement along the stairways as figures come together in the nave to sing, wave their arms and lean towards each other in passionate conversation. Although the figures are quite thin and stretched, they are often hard to make out due to the way they blend into the shadows. However, the energy of the painting is well balanced. Our eye follows the figures to the centre of the painting. Here, the sanctuary is seen with torches illuminating the standing preacher. He is speaking to the congregation as an open religious text is held in front of him. The torches create a sense of movement, bringing the different groups together to create a sense of a lively congregation. The painting creates a sense of the acoustics within the building. We can almost hear the voices echoing around the building. The muted tones used help to create this. Dark slate greys, earthy ochres and deep browns are used throughout. Occasionally there are some bright blue greys and reds in the clothing. This creates a sense of movement as they stand out against the dark tones. The texture of the painting is very important. Magnasco had developed his own unique style using pittura di tocco (quick expressive brushstrokes) and pittura di macchia (creating forms using patches of colour). His painting was influenced by the Venetian style of Tintoretto and Titian. However, the more immediate influence would be Sebastiano Ricci. A comment made by Carlo Giuseppe Ratti in 1769 shows how popular these paintings were. He comments: ‘The subject of the Jewish synagogue is a favourite one with the artist. The small figures are often executed with a few quick, but well-placed strokes.’ This shows how many times he returned to this theme. In some areas we can see through the paint to the reddish brown imprimatura. This creates a sense of movement within the figures. The overall energy is very prominent in this painting. Quick outlines, loosely brushed textures and occasionally some heavy impasto are used to create movement in the figures. Accuracy to the anatomy of the figures isn’t as important, however we can see they are very passionate about being a part of this religious gathering. There are some interesting details included in the painting. The preacher is wearing a tallit (Jewish prayer shawl) over his head. The rest of the congregation are wearing clothing which can be recognised as being from the eighteenth century. Unlike many Orientalist paintings, he hasn’t given them an exotic costume. This gives the painting a sense of realism. However, there is still a strong sense of drama. The painting uses many different styles. Strong chiaroscuro from Caravaggio, busy compositions from the Carracci, mood from Salvator Rosa and lively figures from Jacques Callot. This has been incorporated into his unique style. The architecture, lighting and energetic brushstrokes have created an extremely vibrant depiction of a congregation worshipping. We can see how passionate they are about their religion, but also how fragile they are.