Auction 58 - Rare and Important Items
Engraving - Portrait of R. Shlomo Shalem - Holland, 18th Century - Two Copies
Opening: $3,000
Sold for: $3,750
Including buyer's premium
Portrait of R. Shlomo Shalem (Solomon Salem), engraving by Boyly, after Benjamin Samuel Bolomey. [Holland, second half of the 18th century].
Portrait of R. Shlomo Shalem, holding his book Shoneh Halachot. Caption under the portrait: "Likeness of the sage, the excellent Dayan R. Shlomo Shalem, Rabbi and posek in the Talmud Torah community of Amsterdam and leader of the Belgrade community". Under the caption is a poem praising R. Shlomo.
Leaf, 25X36 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains (some dark). Several tears (some affecting engraving). Margins glued to acid-free paper; framed in a passe-partout.
Rubens, A Jewish Iconography (London, 1981), no. 2195.
* Enclosed: an identical hand-colored engraving, with a floral frame glued on its margins (cut green paper strips).
Leaf, approximately 30X38 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Dark-hued margins. Several open tears to margins.
R. Shlomo Shalem (1708-1781), was born in Adrianople (Turkey) and raised in Salonika. Served as Rabbi of various Bulgarian cities. First in Berkovitsa near Vidin, afterward in Vidin itself and later was appointed Rabbi of the capital city, Sofia. For medical reasons he travelled westwards, and on his way to Vienna passed through Belgrade. The Belgrade Jewish community begged him to stay and serve as rabbi, and he acquiesced to their request stipulating that he first continue his journey to seek medical attention. He spent a while in Vienna and then returned to Belgrade. Late in 1760, R. Shalem traveled to Amsterdam to print his book. At that time, the position of rabbi of the Amsterdam Portuguese community was vacant, and the community's leaders sought the appropriate candidate to fill the position. Among others, the appointment was offered to the Chida and to R. Chaim Abulafia, however, upon the arrival of R. Shalem, they decided to appoint him to the position. Late in 1761, R. Shalem printed his book Shoneh Halachot in Amsterdam, and simultaneously was appointed as Rabbi of the Amsterdam Portuguese community. Nevertheless, he continued to mention Belgrade in his signature (similarly it appears in the caption on this engraving). His 20-year tenure in the Amsterdam rabbinate culminated at his death in 1781. His other books are: Lev Shalem and Divrei Shlomo. [See: R. Shlomo ben Yechiel Shalem, his rise to the rabbinate in the Talmud Torah community of Amsterdam. Studies on the history of Dutch Jewry 5 (1988), pp. 113-133].
Portrait of R. Shlomo Shalem, holding his book Shoneh Halachot. Caption under the portrait: "Likeness of the sage, the excellent Dayan R. Shlomo Shalem, Rabbi and posek in the Talmud Torah community of Amsterdam and leader of the Belgrade community". Under the caption is a poem praising R. Shlomo.
Leaf, 25X36 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains (some dark). Several tears (some affecting engraving). Margins glued to acid-free paper; framed in a passe-partout.
Rubens, A Jewish Iconography (London, 1981), no. 2195.
* Enclosed: an identical hand-colored engraving, with a floral frame glued on its margins (cut green paper strips).
Leaf, approximately 30X38 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Dark-hued margins. Several open tears to margins.
R. Shlomo Shalem (1708-1781), was born in Adrianople (Turkey) and raised in Salonika. Served as Rabbi of various Bulgarian cities. First in Berkovitsa near Vidin, afterward in Vidin itself and later was appointed Rabbi of the capital city, Sofia. For medical reasons he travelled westwards, and on his way to Vienna passed through Belgrade. The Belgrade Jewish community begged him to stay and serve as rabbi, and he acquiesced to their request stipulating that he first continue his journey to seek medical attention. He spent a while in Vienna and then returned to Belgrade. Late in 1760, R. Shalem traveled to Amsterdam to print his book. At that time, the position of rabbi of the Amsterdam Portuguese community was vacant, and the community's leaders sought the appropriate candidate to fill the position. Among others, the appointment was offered to the Chida and to R. Chaim Abulafia, however, upon the arrival of R. Shalem, they decided to appoint him to the position. Late in 1761, R. Shalem printed his book Shoneh Halachot in Amsterdam, and simultaneously was appointed as Rabbi of the Amsterdam Portuguese community. Nevertheless, he continued to mention Belgrade in his signature (similarly it appears in the caption on this engraving). His 20-year tenure in the Amsterdam rabbinate culminated at his death in 1781. His other books are: Lev Shalem and Divrei Shlomo. [See: R. Shlomo ben Yechiel Shalem, his rise to the rabbinate in the Talmud Torah community of Amsterdam. Studies on the history of Dutch Jewry 5 (1988), pp. 113-133].