Inscripții ebraice în arta europeană a secolelor XV-XVIII– un semn al erudiției
Hebrew inscriptions in European art of the 15th-18th centuries– a sign of erudition

Summary/Abstract: The use of Hebrew inscriptions embedded in Christian-themed works of art arose due to the interest in Judaism in Western Europe brought by the flourishing of humanism. Although most artists did not have the necessary knowledge to write a Hebrew text and used varying degrees of pseudo-Hebrew inscriptions, there were still artists who learned to copy the Hebrew alphabet correctly, some of them inserting complex texts, biblical quotes, complementary or cryptic references in their works, in order to enhance the public experience with the work of art. Sponsors often requested the insertion of Hebrew phrases or quotations in works of art to display their erudition to their entourage. If the subject of the work of art was to be praised for his erudition, one of the elements of the compositional portrait sometimes contained a Hebrew inscription. But there were also artists concerned with deepening biblical themes who used Hebrew inscriptions in painting, sculpture, or graphics, displaying both their mastery and knowledge of the Hebrew language, the holy language.

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