A TRAGEDY OF ERRORS
Bar Qamtza and the Fall of Jerusalem
by Amram Tropper
Designed book cover
BRIEF: The publisher wanted me to use as much of this colourful mosaic seen on the cover as possible.
My first intuition with this beautiful but also very colourful image was to use text boxes to make the title legible. After further analysis, and feedback from the publisher, we decided to show as much of the mosaic as possible. That meant no text boxes. My design challenge for this cover was to ensure legibility.
My approach to this task was to 1. position the image as favourable as possible and 2. apply very subtle changes to the image. I preserved the vibrancy of the colours and the mood of the overall image but at the same time I ensured the legibility of the text.
My approach to this task was to 1. position the image as favourable as possible and 2. apply very subtle changes to the image. I preserved the vibrancy of the colours and the mood of the overall image but at the same time I ensured the legibility of the text.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: The story of Bar Qamtza is one of the most famous stories in all rabbinic literature. In this tragic tale, a private feud at a Jerusalem banquet triggers a series of events that eventually culminates in the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
ABOUT THE COVER IMAGE: The stunning late antique Roman mosaic displayed on the book cover depicts an extravagant banquet in a Roman dining room (or triclinium) with nine reclining and inebriated banqueters (some in various states of undress), seven attentive servants, and remnants of the banquet’s courses scattered across the messy floor of the unswept room (or asarotos oikos). The captivating mosaic is currently housed in the Château de Boudry in Neuchâtel, Switzerland and the image of the mosaic is courtesy of Phoenix Ancient Art.
