Bruch der Gefäße (Breaking of the Vessels)
- Date
- 1990
- Classification
- Sculpture
- Collection
- Modern and Contemporary Art
- Current Location
- On view, Sculpture Hall
- Dimensions
- 12 ft. 5 in. × 27 ft. 5 1/2 in. × 17 ft. (378.5 × 836.9 × 518.2 cm)
- Credit Line
- 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 and Mrs. Thomas F. Eagleton, Alison and John Ferring, Mrs. Gail K. Fischmann, Mr. and Mrs. Solon Gershman, Dr. and Mrs. Gary Hansen, Nancy and Kenneth 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
- Rights
- © Anselm Kiefer
- Object Number
- 1:1991
NOTES
In this work, weighing over seven tons, lead book folios and broken panes of glass fill the shelves of a monumental bookcase. The lead books reference the centrality of learning to Jewish culture, while other elements of the sculpture represent ideas put forth in the Kabbalah, a collection of ancient Jewish mystical writings. The semicircular pane of glass suspended above the bookcase represents the spirit of G-d and is inscribed with the Hebrew words "Ain Soph Aur," meaning "Infinite Light." According to kabbalistic tradition, attributes of G-d's light were divided among 10 vessels not strong enough to hold them. The destruction or breaking of the vessels brought the Divine into an imperfect world.
Anselm Kiefer symbolized these vessels through the lead markers extending from the sides of the bookcase linked with copper wire. The shattered glass projecting from the shelves and littering the floor beneath the bookcase recalls Kristallnacht (the Night of Broken Glass) in Germany, when civilians and Nazi paramilitary officers smashed thousands of synagogue windows and Jewishowned storefronts on November 9 and 10, 1938. Kiefer's towering installation commemorates the persecution of Jews, and its shattered glass suggests the fragility and imperfection of human existence.
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.
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.
We regularly update records, which may be incomplete. If you have additional information, please contact us at provenance@slam.org.