The Song of Songs is the most recent acquisition by the Morgan Library & Museum and has been added to their Judaica collection of contemporary Jewish manuscripts by artist Barbara Wolff.

The chapters of the Book of Ruth can be considered as four stories, each with its distinct character, visual language, and ethical message. Together they blend into a pastoral narrative set in the springtime ingathering of the grain. While the backdrop to the agricultural setting is a bountiful harvest, the story of Ruth begins with a phrase repeated for thousands of years in many forms: "There was famine in the land." These are words that reflect the precarious climate of the Middle East and the vulnerability of its inhabitants. Famine, preceded by drought, has toppled empires and again and again sent entire populations in search of food.

It is a story told by women speaking directly to one another about life in a world constructed for men. It is a story about wisdom and strength, courage and devotion. It is a study in self-reliance and a willingness to challenge the social order to give voice to the powerless and deprived.

“Barbara Wolff has an ability to work with gold, silver and foil in a manner I've never seen anybody in the modern age command,” he says. ‘It's like being an alchemist,' Wolff says in an interview. 'It's magic turning these pieces into gold. You live a 13th-century timeline in the 21st century.'

“Wolff's drawings are beautifully detailed and executed with precision—it's no surprise to learn that she worked as a botanical and natural science illustrator before turning to this work. In the fullest sense, she illuminates the text, interpreting the words through her art and teasing out new meaning, and, through the shining gold and deep colors, bringing light to the room. She's inventive, often playful—again echoing the medieval artists, who sometimes added small elements of surprise. If you keep looking, you'll find something new.”

—Sandee Brawarsky, Culture Editor, The Jewish Week