Synagoge (?) c. 1828 - 1905

This plaster sculpture of Synagoge was created by Eugène Lacomblé sometime in the 19th century. The broken statue represents the personification of Judaism, capturing a moment fraught with historical tension. Historically, depictions of Synagoge and Ecclesia, representing Judaism and Christianity respectively, served as allegorical figures often positioned on opposite sides of portals in medieval cathedrals. These sculptures visualized the shifting dynamics of religious identity and power during the Middle Ages. Here, Synagoge is presented as a broken figure. Her gaze is lowered, she is without a head, the tablets she carries are falling from her grasp, signifying a loss of divine favor. Lacomblé's sculpture operates within a longer history of representing Judaism as incomplete or superseded by Christianity. As you contemplate this figure, consider the complex history of religious representation and the power dynamics they reflect.