Artists and their World - Guided Walk of Willesden Jewish Cemetery

It can be said that few Jewish artists managed to make an impression in the art world prior to the early twentieth century. Reasons for this may include the small population in Britain and the prohibition of the Second Commandment “You shall not make yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth”. For many this meant the creation of any artistic representation was forbidden and so amongst the Jewish community there isn’t a long standing tradition of working in the world of art.

However, there were artists whose creative urge was so strong that they had no choice but to paint. An outstanding example is the artist Mark Gertler who is buried at Willesden. He is remembered above all for his painting of The Merry-Go-Round (1916), which foresaw the upheaval and uncertain politics of the coming years. Gertler was also involved with the Bloomsbury set, although he sat uncomfortably between the two worlds of privileged middle class artists and his own impoverished home background.

As well as Gertler and other artists such as Simeon Solomon, you can also find major collectors and art dealers in the cemetery. They played a key role in the art world. Lord Joseph Duveen influenced and assisted American millionaires in building up fine art collections which eventually found their way into America's great museums.

The cemetery even has its own artworks. There is a recently restored Edward Burne-Jones Grade 2 listed design on the grave of Maximilian (Max) Eberstadt (1844-1891).

Walks will start at the Visitor Centre and last roughly 75 minutes. We recommend you leave some time before or afterward to further explore the Visitor Centre and funerary buildings.