Joachim Wtewael, 'The Raising of Lazarus', about 1605-10
About the work
Overview
According to the New Testament (John 11), Lazarus had been dead for four days when Jesus visited his grave and miraculously brought him back to life. The drama of Lazarus’s resurrection offered Wtewael the opportunity to represent excited figures in contorted poses, employing dynamic hand gestures.
The recent restoration of this painting at the National Gallery yielded many intriguing discoveries. The painting served as a model for several copies made by Wtewael and his studio. Wtewael seems to have returned to the picture at a later date and made a number of changes, such as enlarging the size of the basket in the foreground and altering the colours of some of the garments for aesthetic effect.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- The Raising of Lazarus
- Artist
- Joachim Wtewael
- Artist dates
- 1566 - 1638
- Date made
- about 1605-10
- Medium and support
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 131 × 162 cm
- Acquisition credit
- On loan from Wycombe Museum
- Inventory number
- L1171
- Location
- Room 24
- Image copyright
- On loan from Wycombe Museum, © Wycombe Museum
- Collection
- Main Collection
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.
Images
More works by Joachim Wtewael
