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© Anselm Kiefer |  | Breaking of the Vessels
1990
| Anselm Kiefer
German, born 1945
| lead, iron, glass, copper wire, charcoal, and Aquatec
| installed: 12 ft. 5 in. x 27 ft. 5 1/2 in. x 17 ft. (378.5 x 836.9 x 518.2 cm)
| Funds given by Mr. and Mrs. George Schlapp, Mrs. Francis A. Mesker, the Henry L. and Natalie Edison Freund Charitable Trust, The Arthur and Helen Baer Charitable Foundation, Sam and Marilyn Fox, Mrs. Eleanor J. Moore, Mr. and Mrs. John Wooten Moore, Donna and William Nussbaum, Mr. and Mrs. James E. Schneithorst, Jain and Richard Shaikewitz, Mark Twain Bancshares, Inc., Mr. and Mrs. Gary Wolff, Mr. and Mrs. Lester P. Ackerman Jr., the Honorable & Mrs. Thomas F. Eagleton, Alison and John Ferring, Mrs. Gail K. Fischmann, Mr. and Mrs. Solon Gershman, Dr. and Mrs. Gary Hansen, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth S. Kranzberg, Mr. and Mrs. Gyo Obata, Jane and Warren Shapleigh, Lee and Barbara Wagman, Anabeth Calkins and John Weil, Museum Shop Fund, the Contemporary Art Society, and Museum Purchase; Dr. and Mrs. Harold J. Joseph, estate of Alice P. Francis, Fine Arts Associates, J. Lionberger Davis, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel B. Edison, Mr. and Mrs. Morton D. May, estate of Louise H. Franciscus, an anonymous donor, Miss Ella M. Boedeker, by exchange
| Accession Number: 1:1991
| Anselm Kiefer’s massive sculpture visualizes the idea of creation put forth in the Kabbalah, a collection of ancient Jewish mystical writings. According to Kabbalistic tradition, the attributes of God—his mercy, wisdom, and power, for example—were divided among ten vessels that were not strong enough to contain them. The breaking of the vessels symbolizes the destruction that brought the divine essences into an imperfect world.
In this commanding work of art, Kiefer reflects on the fragility and imperfection of human existence. The spirit of God is represented in the semicircular pane of glass that is suspended above the bookcase and inscribed with the word Ain-Sof. The deconstructed bookcase below is crammed with folios of lead and glass, alluding to the richness of Jewish culture and the many times it has been threatened throughout history. The lead markers attached to the bookcase symbolize the ten vessels of the divine essence. All the signs of destruction and broken glass recall the infamous Kristallnacht in Nazi Germany, when in 1938 the windows of synagogues and Jewish-owned storefronts were smashed. Kiefer’s installation becomes a towering monument to the persecution and attempted destruction of Jews and Jewish culture during the Nazi era.
| Signed:
unsigned
| Provenance:
1990 - 1991
Marian Goodman Gallery, New York, NY, USA [1]
1991 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased from Marian Goodman Gallery [2]
Notes:
[1] The work was in a 1990 exhibition at the Marian Goodman Gallery titled "Anselm Kiefer: Lilith" ["Anselm Kiefer: Lilith." New York: Marian Goodman Gallery, 1990, p. 51]. Bill of sale from Marian Goodman Gallery dated March 5, 1991 [SLAM document files].
[2] Minutes of the Collections Committee of the Board of Trustees, Saint Louis Art Museum, March 7, 1991. |
Alternate Title(s):
Bruch der Gefäße
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