(#172) JUDAH L. MAGNES MUSEUM (HDW) http://www.magnes.org/:

Edition of 1694 of which 125 copies are signed 1-125, 26 copies are signed A-Z as artist's proofs; 15 are signed as dedication copies, and three sets are signed as progressives.

January 14, 1997 17-1/8" x 24" 7 colors

Model: Harry Dov Weininger

Client: Judah L. Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell, Berkeley, California, 94705 Telephone: (510) 549-6950 or (510) 849-2710

Sponsor: Harry Dov Weininger

Dedication copies: Shirley Dean, Ellen Deitch, Ron Feldman, Aria Fisilani, Seymour Fromer, Ellen Jouret, Frank Lossy, Hannah Gratch, Diane Polak, Yvette Vloeberghs, Carmi Jan Weininger, Harry Dov Weininger, Jean Weininger, Nehama Weininger, Reuben Weininger, Walter Zenner
1-125: Galerie Louvre A-Z: Artist's own use

Progressives: Harry Dov Weininger, Judah L. Magnes Museum, Galerie Louvre.

We learn to pray when we are young, and at our mother's knee repeat "Now I lay me's," not necessarily with much understanding. These simple prayers learned early stay with us for the rest of our lives. In middle years we may have gotten out of the habit of prayer, but we do not entirely forget. You do two things in your mother tongue, no matter how long you've been a wanderer in a foreign land: count, and pray.

As children, we prayed for things, or to be delivered from fear or want. When we get older, we may come to the realization that prayer is not any longer a means to an end: it is an end in itself. Prayer is not a supernatural on/off switch that makes God jump up and hop to your bidding. God is not a genie in a lamp, and prayer is not magic chants and invocations. You do not pray for things, or ask God for favors, because you realize that you have no idea what you want, or what may be either good or bad for you or for anyone else. You pray because prayer makes you feel better and for no other reason. Prayer is a private matter; a private communication. You can say things to God that you cannot say to anyone else.