Description
‘Der Golem’ by Matthew Jaffe
Artist: Matthew Jaffe
Title: ‘Der Golem’
Medium: Pastel on Paper
Dimensions: 19.5″ x 25.5″
Framing: Unframed
Year of Creation: 2020
About the Artwork:
“The Golem is a creature of Jewish folklore, usually made of clay and earth, and brought to life through alchemical means to perform menial tasks. One of the best known accounts of the Golem tells of the 16th century rabbi of Prague, Judah Loew ben Bezalel, who creates one to serve as a protector of the Jewish ghetto against pogroms. Rabbi Loew summons the Golem by writing the Hebrew word ’emet’ (meaning ‘truth’) on its forehead. The word ’emet’ also contains ‘met’, which means ‘death’. Eventually Rabbi Loew must destroy the Golem after it becomes reckless and harmful, which he does by removing the first letter of ’emet’, thereby rendering it useless and turning it back into earth.
As the Golem is the creation of Rabbi Loew, it’s hard for me to believe that there isn’t some kind of strong bond between the two, and that Rabbi Loew’s decision to destroy his creation is a very difficult one. My core attraction to this moment in the story heavily revolves around my fascination with the concept of creation, and my inability to come to terms with the sense of loss we feel in the absence of loved ones.” – Matthew Jaffe
About the Artist:
(Artist Bio)
Matthew Jaffe is a San Francisco based artist and illustrator. While he works in a variety of different mediums, it is through pastel that he feels the most adept and inspired to create his art. He has illustrated numerous book covers in thre horror and dark fantasy genres.