Jerusalem am Ölberg von Nord 1925

Jakob Nussbaum made this ink drawing of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives in 1925. The image conveys a stark, almost desolate landscape; a scattering of dark marks indicating the city against a pale sky. Nussbaum was part of a generation of Jewish artists grappling with questions of identity and place in the early 20th century. Born in Poland, he later moved to Germany, and this drawing was made some years before he emigrated to Palestine. It is a product of the artist's contemplation of the role of art in expressing Jewish identity. Was it self-consciously Zionist, or was it more broadly interested in themes of migration and the search for belonging? By looking into the artist's personal history, letters, and other documents, we can develop a more nuanced understanding of this image, and of the complex relationship between art, identity, and history.