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Rachel Arzuaga Masters Thesis.pdf (3.57 MB)

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A CULTURAL APPROACH: JUDAISM AND ITS EFFECTS ON MOSES SOYER’S PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS

Arzuaga, Rachel
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1501191626277916

Abstract Details

2017, Master of Arts in History, Cleveland State University, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.
In July of 1966, Harold Rosenberg published his often-cited article, “Is There a Jewish Art?.” Rosenberg’s inquiry continues to spark debate on the existence and merit of labeling art as Jewish. Rather than attempting to provide an answer for the question posed by his article, this thesis instead contemplates the ways in which Judaism might shape an artist’s body of work, in particular, that of Social Realist Painter Moses Soyer. Considering that many of the most notable American Social Realist painters of the twentieth-century share a common Jewish ancestry, it is important to analyze the possible significance of their shared heritage. Therefore, this thesis examines the work of Moses Soyer in conjunction with the American Jewish experience. The first chapter focuses on Soyer’s early years, which I argue are instrumental to his later works of art. The second chapter concentrates on Soyer’s political activism, that is, his involvement in leftist politics, which relates to several important Jewish values. The final chapter analyzes the artist’s numerous portraits of dancers, which also align with the Jewish experience in America during the 1930s and 1940s.
Samantha Baskind, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Marian Bleeke , Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Mark Cole, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
105 p.
Art Criticism; Art History; History; Judaic Studies

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Arzuaga, R. (2017). A CULTURAL APPROACH: JUDAISM AND ITS EFFECTS ON MOSES SOYER’S PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS [Master's thesis, Cleveland State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1501191626277916

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Arzuaga, Rachel . A CULTURAL APPROACH: JUDAISM AND ITS EFFECTS ON MOSES SOYER’S PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS . 2017. Cleveland State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1501191626277916.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Arzuaga, Rachel . "A CULTURAL APPROACH: JUDAISM AND ITS EFFECTS ON MOSES SOYER’S PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS ." Master's thesis, Cleveland State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1501191626277916

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

csu1501191626277916
812
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This open access ETD is published by Cleveland State University and OhioLINK.