John Singer Sargent’s “Triumph of Religion” is a sprawling mural cycle adorning the third floor of the Boston Public Library’s old McKim building. On the surface, the series of highly detailed images connect pagan religions, the Hebrew prophets of old and the emergence of Christianity. But one panel, “Synagogue,” was the cause of much controversy when it was installed in 1919.
In “Synagogue,” a crown tumbles from the female figure’s head. A blindfold and a broken scepter point to a lost realm of faded glory.
The ruined features are thrown all the more into contrast when viewed next to the corresponding panel, Sargent’s “Church.”
In “Church,” the stoic leader is enthroned, bearing a host and chalice. A winged lion, an angel, an eagle and a winged bull attend her. The figure of a weary Christ relies on her for support.
In the context of the wider mural cycle, the message is obvious: the church, in all its strength and splendor, is the successor to a lost synagogue in need of saving.
Sargent received the commission for the “Triumph” murals in 1890. In the decades between that commission and the installation of “Church” and “Synagogue” in 1919, the demographics of the country had begun to shift.
“You only had a quarter of a million Jews in the whole country in 1880,” said Jonathan Sarna, professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University. “But by the 1920s, you got 4 million.”
That growth was especially notable in Boston, he said. Unlike New York City, Philadelphia or Charleston, Boston did not previously have a sizable Jewish community.
Sarna explained that the tensions between Jews and Catholics were palpable: there was violence, and Harvard University introduced quotas for Jewish students.
But one place he said the growing community had a major impact was the Boston Public Library.
For a minority group in their own pursuit of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, an image like “Synagogue” was a shock — not just because of the painting’s content, but because it was part of a series of religious images in a public building.
“Jews deeply felt the church-state separation was central to their ability to really gain equality in the United States,” said Sarna. “And to their mind, turning a public library into a church was precisely what should never be allowed to happen. So this becomes kind of a larger battle about the place of Jews in the American landscape.”
A battle it was.
State legislators in 1922 passed an act ordering the removal of Sargent’s “Synagogue” painting by eminent domain, designating it for teaching art instead of public display. That legislation was later repealed.
During the legislative battle, someone splashed ink on the mural, presumably as a form of protest. Sargent himself was involved in the restoration.
Erica Hirshler, the Croll Senior Curator of American Paintings at the Museum of Fine Arts, said Sargent was blindsided by the reaction. He hadn’t been trying to make a religious statement, she said; rather, he was merely exploring artistic themes that already existed.
Hirschler said Sargent’s “Triumph of Religion” draws on a number of old motifs, including “Ecclessia and Synagoga,” which appeared mostly in France.
“It’s about the triumph of Christianity. And Christianity is always shown as beautiful and positive and uplifting. And Synagogue is often shown as broken in some way,” she said.
The negative reaction presented unusual challenges for the artist, she said.
“Sargent hated public speaking; he never wanted to engage,” said Hirshler. “He knew he was in trouble with local community members. He tried to stay out of it, which is typical for him.”
“And the same thing happened when he exhibited his now notorious portrait of Madame X at the salon in 1884,” Hirshler continued. “It was very controversial. He tried to stay out of it. He was uncomfortable being in the public eye, so he didn’t engage.”
Today, “Synagogue” isn’t as controversial as it was a century ago. But its place in the massive hall is a time capsule from an older Boston — where it remains a striking example of community activism and civic action.
