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Man in His Image

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Beyond the Graven Image

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Abstract

Of almost any object a representative artifact intended solely and exclusively for decorative purposes, can be made. But not if that object be a man, still less if God be the object of the purported representation. At any soi-disant portrayal of God Jewish tolerance of the image stops absolutely short; and at any portrayal of the human being, relatively short. In each case the argument is similar; it is also grounded in such inter-dependent terms as to disclose ethical relevance to an apparent matter of aesthetics. Here, and more so than in any other context, artistic autonomy is circumscribed; the artist would otherwise, like Medusa, turn to stone whatever his gaze alights on. In Jewish terms, Medusa removes the distinction between man and inert nature.

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Notes

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  1. Lionel Kochan
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© 1997 Lionel Kochan

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Kochan, L. (1997). Man in His Image. In: Beyond the Graven Image. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-25545-0_7

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