The following description was prepared by William Gross: 

Mizrah (Hebrew: מזרח "east") is the Hebrew word for "east" and the direction that Jews in the Diaspora face during prayer. Jewish law prescribes that Jews at prayer face the site of the Temple in Jerusalem. In addition, "Mizrach" refers to an ornamental wall plaque used to indicate the direction of prayer in Jewish homes. In a synagogue, that direction would be obvious as it is the side of the building on which the ark was placed. But in a home or Sukkah the direction had to be indicated. It is customary in traditional Jewish homes and the Sukkah to mark the wall in the direction of Mizrach to facilitate proper prayer. For this purpose, people use artistic wall plaques inscribed with the word Mizrach and scriptural passages like "From the rising (mi-mizrah) of the sun unto the going down thereof, the Lord's name is to be praised" (Ps. 113:3), Kabbalistic inscriptions, or pictures of holy places. Such plaques were most often manuscript forms or printed sheets, ranging from the simplest idea of the word only to elaborately decorated pages with a wide range of images and texts. These plaques are generally placed in rooms in which people pray, such as the living room or bedrooms. The four letters of the Hebrew word MiZRaCH are sometimes indicated as the initial letters of the Hebrew phrase Metzad Zeh Ruach Chaim (From this side the source of life).

This hand-painted Mizrach is fashioned in the technique of trompe l'oeil, a manner of painting to give the illusion of three dimensions.  This is one of only a handful of Jewish pieces made in this technique that have survived until today. Others of the group were produced in the area of Alsace in France, as was this one. The elements of eye-glasses, pipes, quills, playing cards and letters were often used in such trompe l'oeil illustrations of both Jewish and Christian traditions. The names of the donor, the artist and the man for whom it was made are recorded in a colophon on the left half of the piece. With a date of 1820, this painting is an early example of a Mizrach.

Made For:                    Mordechai Westheimer