Attributed to Marco Marcuola

Acquired in 1996 with the support of the fram île-de-France mahj 96.5.1 and 2

This painting depicts a circumcision ceremony in a room with the windows wide open. Of the two circumcision chairs, often found in Jewish religious furniture in Italy, only one is occupied. The other, on a raised platform, has been left symbolically empty to welcome the spirit of the prophet Eliyah. Unusually, the newborn baby is being held by two men perched on a table, and the godfathers (Sanddakim) are both wearing Tallit. The chairs are similar to other Italian ceremonial chairs.