by Fmeaddons
Chani Cohen ZadaGreeting Shabbos, 2022
Chani Cohen Zada, Greeting Shabbos
About the Artwork
Greeting Shabbos captures the peaceful moments before Shabbat begins. A solitary figure sits quietly at the dining table, immersed in prayer or study, while the last light of the day filters through the window. The prepared room, empty chairs, and stillness of the scene evoke the familiar anticipation that fills a Jewish home as the ordinary week gently gives way to sacred time. Through restraint and simplicity, Chani Cohen Zada portrays not an event, but the atmosphere of waiting for Shabbat's arrival.
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Jewish tradition teaches that Shabbat is welcomed like a beloved guest. The preparation for its arrival is itself considered part of the mitzvah, transforming ordinary household tasks into acts of spiritual significance. Long before the candles are lit, the home begins to change. Activity slows, distractions recede, and a sense of calm gradually settles over the space.
Cohen Zada focuses on this quiet transition. The figure seated near the window appears absorbed in a private moment of reflection, while the surrounding chairs wait silently for family and guests who will soon gather around the table. The room is neither empty nor full; it exists in the brief interval between preparation and celebration.
The window plays an important role within the composition. It admits the fading light of the outside world while drawing the viewer's attention toward the approaching evening. The contrast between the interior and the landscape beyond suggests the movement from the demands of everyday life into the serenity of Shabbat.
As throughout much of Cohen Zada's work, ordinary objects carry extraordinary meaning. The dining table, chairs, and window are rendered with careful observation, allowing the familiar environment to become a place of contemplation. The painting reminds us that holiness is often found not in dramatic moments, but in the quiet rituals that shape family life and Jewish tradition.
Greeting Shabbos is ultimately a meditation on anticipation. It celebrates the beauty of preparing one's home, one's family, and one's heart to welcome the peace and sanctity that Shabbat brings each week.
₪ 19,250
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