Uriel da Costa Instructing the Young Spinoza

What it is

This is a painting by Samuel Hirszenberg, made in 1901. It shows a bearded man in a dark robe and black skullcap leaning over a young boy with long curly hair and a white collar, who rests against him at a table. An open book with pink flowers lies on a red tablecloth, and shelves of old books stand behind them. The painting is titled as Uriel d'Acosta instructing the young Spinoza.

Why it matters

The painting was made more than two centuries after Spinoza's lifetime, so it shows how Hirszenberg imagined Spinoza's early education rather than what actually happened. Uriel da Costa was a critic of Jewish religious authority in Amsterdam, and the scene links Spinoza to that earlier teacher. Painters of this period often pictured Jewish history and figures for audiences who were thinking about their own community's identity.

Look closer

• What do the clothing, books and setting tell you about the time and place the painter wanted to show?
• Why might the artist have chosen to show a close, quiet moment between teacher and student?
• What does this scene leave out about Spinoza's later life and ideas?