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1924 Vandalism and restorationSargent’s Synagogue mural sparked a great deal of controversy after it was presented to the public in 1919. The conflict centered on Sargent’s representation of Judaism as a faith superseded by Christianity. In 1924, an unidentified assailant protested its content by splattering ink at the panel. The restoration that followed this incident found that a varnish coating had prevented the ink from causing permanent damage to the paint. A restorer removed the varnish and ink from the lower part of Synagogue and recoated the cleaned area. |
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| Synagogue, 1924, in a photo taken after the vandalism incident; note the ink splatter at the lower left Boston Public Library | |  | |