The reunification of Jerusalem in 1967 reverberated across Israeli society. For Mordechai Ardon (1896-1992), the repercussions had a mystical quality expressed in the both the subjects and colors of this triptych painted in oil on canvas and housed at the Israel Museum: on the right, the Foundation Stone on which the world was created; in the middle, the ladders that connect heaven and earth; on the left, the Hebrew letters and texts, above the symbol of the kabbalistic Tree of Life, the divine emanations on which, according to tradition, our world is founded. This work expresses the strong emotional connection the artist felt to Jerusalem. (Image copyright Israel Museum, Jerusalem; work copyright Ardon estate, gift of the artist in honor of Israel’s 20th anniversary and the unification of Jerusalem)