Yerusalem Wedding
Yerusalem Wedding is an oil on canvas painting of 2010 by Itshak Holtz depicting a Haredi Orthodox Jewish Chuppah at dusk in Jerusalem, Israel.
Characters and Scene
The painting depicts the mood, traditions and customs of an Orthodox Jewish wedding, through close examination and convincing illusions. In the center of the scene there is the bride with her face covered with a veil, with her mothers' hand linked in her right hand, and seen partially is the mother of the groom holding on to her other hand, with the groom standing to her left, with the Rabbi standing in front of the groom reciting a prayer or the Ketuba, and close relatives holding on to the poles of the canopy. Holtz is highlighting the seriousness of the mood, as traditionally, to the bride and groom the day of marriage is like Yom Kippur, and dancing is following the Chuppa. Holtz makes the point that the closer relatives stand closer to the ceremony and are more tuned in and serious, with other people by-standing and conversing casually. There is a little girl holding the brides flowers, and seemingly does not understand much that is going on around her, and an elderly relative making his way home or towards the wedding ballroom with a convincing illusion that his feet are tiring. There is also a fiddler playing melodies with two onlookers apparently talking about him. The women in the scene are not standing between the men, except for the bride and parents of the newlyweds which is according to Halacha. There are onlookers with a woman holding her child across the street. There is a young boy holding a book who is apparently making his way home from school.
The people depicted in the painting, with golden garments typically live in Jerusalem's Meah Shearim neighborhood, and it is worn on the Sabbath and on religious festivals.