The Lost Mirror: Jews and Conversos in Medieval Spain

An exhibition catalogue that shows how Jews and conversos (converts to Christianity) were portrayed by Christians in Spain from 1285 to 1492.

Images played a key role in the complex relationship between all three groups during this period. On the one hand, they were an important vehicle for the transmission of rites and artistic models between Christians and Jews and provided a space for collaboration between artists from both communities. On the other – the grim flipside – they helped spread the growing anti-Judaism embedded in Christian society. In this respect, the visual stigmatisation of the Jews was a faithful reflection of the Christians’ mirror, of their beliefs and anxieties, and accordingly a powerful means of asserting their identity.

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