Dimensions: support: 876 x 498 mm frame: 955 x 576 x 30 mm
Copyright: © Estate of John David Roberts, by permission of the William Roberts Society | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: Here we have Jacob Kramer's "Jews at Prayer," currently held in the Tate Collections. While undated, Kramer, who lived from 1892 to 1962, offers a striking depiction of Jewish men engaged in prayer. Editor: It feels so...still. The muted palette, the angular shapes—it’s like they're carved from stone, yet draped in these almost luminous white prayer shawls. A powerful paradox, no? Curator: Absolutely. Kramer's work often grapples with themes of identity and belonging, reflecting his own experiences as an immigrant. The geometric abstraction evokes a sense of solemnity and perhaps even the weight of tradition. Editor: I see that weight. There’s also a beautiful, unsettling anonymity in those faces. It's not about the individual, but the collective, the shared spiritual experience. Curator: Indeed, which raises questions about representation, visibility, and the complexities of portraying communal identity. Editor: This piece gets under your skin and lingers there. Curator: Yes, a powerful, thought-provoking piece.
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Kramer was born in Ukraine but settled in Leeds, Yorkshire. There he became a part of a group centred around the modern art collector, Sir Michael Sadler.Here he shows Jewish men at prayer in traditional clothes. The theme may reflect his belief that the Jewish artist should be able to turn to ‘his own people’ for support. Kramer uses the style of dress to emphasise his simplification of the figures. He wrote: ‘The degree of expression in a work of art is the measure of its greatness. A spiritual discernment is more essential than the reproduction of the obvious.’ Gallery label, July 2007
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