You shall make two golden cherubim, hammering them out from the two ends of the cover (of the Ark)…The cherubim shall spread their wings upward, shielding the cover with their wings. The cherubim shall face one another and also face the covering. (Exodus 25:18-20)
During the course of his artistic life, Raanan has painted many versions and variations of the cherubim. They first appear in the Bible at the gates of the Garden of Eden, stationed there to guard the way to the Tree of Life, after Adam and Eve were banished. At a later period, the cherubim appear gracing the cover of the Ark in the Holy of Holies. There, they had a dual purpose − to serve as the vehicle for that which is above, and to watch over that which is below. On the one hand, they were protectors of the Ark, “sheltering the cover with their wings,” guarding it and the Torah scrolls within. On the other hand, the “cherubim spread out their wings on high,” thus serving as a vehicle for Godliness. In all three paintings there is a strong vertical movement upward, as the cherubim stretch their wings toward a world that lies beyond. And in the vision of Ezekiel, the cherubim escorted the Presence of God out of the Jerusalem Temple before its destruction. (Ezekiel 11:22-23)
Fashioned as male and female, the cherubim on the cover of the Ark were molded from a single block of solid gold and were endowed with supernatural qualities. When there was closeness between the Israelites and God, they embraced; when the people went astray, they turned away from each other. (Yoma 54a-b) The Talmud also relates that when the Babylonian conquerors broke into the Temple and entered the Holy of Holies, they saw the cherubim embracing. Thus the cherubim symbolize the love between God and the Jewish people, a love that endures even in the worst of times, even when there is no longer a Temple. Raanan says of the cherubim, “Over the years they just appeared within my paintings. When I noticed them I was inevitably moved to bring them out, to make them more visible. And as I gave them form – using my hands simultaneously and symmetrically, painting their faces with my two thumbs and their wings with my palms – I was always amazed to see that one of them came out male and the other female.”

Raanan Art fine art prints are the highest quality digigraphie printing (Giclee) available. Designed to produce archival prints without yellowing or colour fading.
The 100% cotton fine art papers are composed of high grade raw materials with nothing added that could degrade the image. With a luxurious look and feel.

Our prints are made with the world’s highest quality archival pigment ink: International Digigraphic Standard and the color rendering is at maximum coordination levels.

Hand signed in pencil in Hebrew and English.

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