Doré’s biblical art still shapes Christmas crèche imagery worldwide

Evidence

The popular impact of the Doré Bible is seen in the influence it had on the style of Christmas crèches. One can still witness Doré-derived Bedouin Israelites at Christmas in every corner of Western Christendom, from Polish village churches to Macy’s windows in New York to the oversized mannequins on Ocean Avenue in Sta. Monica. — Ivan Davidson Kalmar, Derek Penslar, Orientalism and the Jews, 199

Categorization

• CANDY: A fun, low-context fact: the Bedouin-dressed creche figures in Macy’s windows and Polish churches descend from one 1865 engraving.