Imagine you have 13 guest coming for Shabbat, and your cholent burns. Does Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” come to mind? It did for West Orange resident Esty Frankel-Fersel, author of the witty and ironic “Converted Masters.”
In her elegant coffee table book, Frankel-Fersel “converts” classic art masterpieces into Jewish counterparts. Imagine Claude Monet’s “Water Lily Pond” as a location for tashlich. Or Jan Vermeer’s “The Milkmaid” baking challah for Shabbat. Picture the Kohen Gadol wearing Wassily Kandinsky’s “Farbstudie Quadrate” as his breastplate. How about Henri Matisse’s “Icarus” as a Chasid? Maybe Vincent Van Gogh’s famous “Starry Night” as an observance of Kiddush Levana? Can’t you see Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” as frum woman Minna Leah? Frankel-Fersel envisioned all that and more, combining these world-famous works of art with her own imagination, creating a book perfect for art lovers and novices alike.
With a modern twist, the author also “converted” some newer masterpieces. The British government in 1939 implored citizens to “Keep Calm and Carry On.” How about imploring them to “Keep Calm and Say a Psalm”? Andy Warhol created “One Hundred Cans” (of Campbell’s soup). In Frankel-Fersel’s imagination, those cans became Manischewitz chicken soup with matzo balls. Norman Rockwell’s “The Gossips” was hilariously transformed into “The Shidduch Background Check.” Can’t you just see it? “Absolut Vodka”? How about “Absolut Babka”? As you turn each page, you won’t know what to expect. The only thing that you can definitely expect is to laugh out loud.
The book’s cover features Kandinsky’s “Squares with Concentric Circles” against a glossy black background. Inside, each traditional masterpiece is shown opposite its “converted” version, allowing the reader to search for the sometimes obvious, sometimes more subtle, differences. The works of art represent time periods from the early 16th century to modern day, again offering something for everyone.
The “converted” paintings are all original works by the author, most created with oil and acrylic paints on canvas. Frankel-Fersel provides explanations of the Jewish content alongside each reproduction for readers not familiar with Jewish observances and practices. There is even a special section of popular Yiddish expressions (with translations) matched to famous works of art, which is sure to inspire laughter even among those not intimately familiar with the language. Think farklempt, farbissen, meshugah, zoftig, ungepotchked, shmoozing, mishpacha, tzuris, yentas and more.
“Converted Masters” will make a great gift for anyone Jewish, regardless of their level of observance. It is certainly a great conversation starter, and will definitely give readers a good laugh.
The book is available for sale at CBL Art in West Orange, or at this link. It is currently sold out but will soon be available again on Amazon.com.
By Jill Kirsch
