Hermitage Gallery

2011 Featured Sculpture - Golem

The golem symbolizes an incomplete, unintelligent human form in ancient Jewish folklore. In the Bible, "golem" translates to a mute man formed from dust or mud.

Judah Loew ben Bezalel ( 1520 - 1609 ) created the legend "The Golem of Prague". Middle Ages mysticism initiated the belief that the Hebrew inscription "truth" on his forehead would activate the creature, but removal of one letter, changing the word to mean "death" would deactivate him.

Modern interpretation of the golem has led to its inclusion as a robotic, dumb, literally obedient and sometimes violent character.

Click photos for detailed information.

In Literature
H. Leivik 1921 -  in Yiddish "The Golem",  I.B. Singer as well as Elie Wiesel used this legend as a basis of their golem stories, and Chabon in "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay" used the Golem as a character.

In Films
Wegener's "The Golem" - 1921 and  "It!"  with Roddy McDowell - 1966.       

In Video Gaming
Dungeons and Dragons, Diablo. 

Benjamin Davis chose to carve the Golem from cherry wood found in the forest near his home in Vermont. 

His inspiration came from the many Golem stories and films from the biblical to the modern and its relevance to modern thought.