Beautiful Esther. Purim, a Timeless Story

An exhibition on Purim, one of the most joyous holidays of the Jewish calendar, focusing on its leading character, Queen Esther.

Renaissance works of art and precious parchments tell the story of the biblical heroine Esther and how she managed to save the Jewish people by foiling the plan laid out by Haman, counselor to the King of Persia. It is a timeless story that still teaches us very much and which has been celebrated for centuries with banquets, masked gatherings, parties and theatre pieces.

Jacopo del Sellaio’s “Ester davanti ad Assuero”, Esther before Ahasuerus (1475-1480 ca.) from the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts, and Filippino Lippi’s tempera on panel “Vashti lascia il palazzo reale” Vashti Leaving the Royal Palace (1475 ca.), on loan from the Horne Museum in Florence, are some of the jewels of the exhibition.

Thanks to our collaboration with the National Library of Israel, the exhibition also includes the return of the parchment scroll of the Book of Esther to the city of the Estes, where it was made in the 17th century.

The exhibition also offers a detailed look into local history: from Leghorn to Syracuse, from Padua to Rome, and a contemporary reinterpretation with very engaging illustrations. Furthermore, the exhibition also offers interactive spaces where children and adults can participate and enjoy creative moments.

The exhibition is curated by Amedeo Spagnoletto, Olga Melasecchi and Marina Caffiero with the collaboration of Sharon Reichel.