HISTOIRE DU JUIF-ERRANT - The History of the Wandering Jew - An illustrated antisemitic story describing the sin and punishment of the 'wandering Jew'. France, 19th century.
The story begins with a meeting in which the Jew arrives in Brussels and talks at random with two of its "civilized" European residents. They turn to him in bewilderment and amazement because they have never seen a man with such a long beard, they ask him to stay in an inn, but he uses his pockets and shows that he does not have enough money, the 'locals' ask the Jew where he came from and he describes how he walked day and night in all the continents of the world, in Europe, and in Asia, in Africa, and in America, without rest (wherever he wandered the background typical of that continent is painted). The two ask the Jew, "what is the great sin you have committed because of which you were sentenced to be a wanderer for thousands of years?" And the Jew replies that because of his impudence, Jesus decreed that he would not stop wandering for over a thousand years, and since then 'I do not stop moving day and night.' In the last square, the Jew is seen crying because of the harsh decree passed on him.
41x28 cm. Folding mark. Good condition.
