Jesus and the Woman Caught in Adultery

Gustave Doré · 1866 (designs for La Sainte Bible, Tours); this printing 1873–1874
National Library of Poland, Warsaw

The Pannemaker workshop cut this design for the 1866 Bible; the name can be read faintly at the lower right. Doré builds the scene against a huge round pillar carved with a zigzag band.

The woman crouches at the foot of the pillar, her arms crossed, looking up with frightened eyes. Jesus, with a halo, stands beside her with His hand on her head and turns to the accusers. They crowd in from the left; one points at her. On the stone step in front of them, lines of marks are scratched into the ground.

From the text

“Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with His finger” (John 8:6)

“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.” (John 8:7)

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. (John 8:11)

The artist’s own

The writing shown as rows of marks on the step — the text does not say what He wrote

His hand resting on the woman’s head

Heavy pillars and a carved wall, like a medieval building

Details

Writing on the ground

Rows of marks are scratched on the stone step.

The woman

She crouches against the pillar and looks up in fear.

Jesus

With a halo, He turns toward the men and rests a hand on her head.

Pointing

One of the accusers stretches out his hand toward her.

Gustave Doré, French, 1832–1883. National Library of Poland (Biblioteka Narodowa), Warsaw — «Pismo Święte Starego i Nowego Testamentu», vol. 2, Warsaw: M. Glücksberg, 1874 (acc. 75.267 A) · Wood engraving after Gustave Doré’s design · National Library of Poland (Polona): the record of the volume gives the licence «Domena Publiczna» (Public Domain), «copyrightProtected»: false; the scan was uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by the library itself («Polona Upload», GLAM-Wiki partnership: “This file was uploaded to Wikimedia Commons as part of a GLAM-Wiki partnership between the National Library of Poland and Wikimedia Polska”), linking its Polona record.

The verses

John 8:6–11They said this to test Him, in order to have a basis for accusing Him. But Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with His finger. When they continued to question Him, He straightened up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.” And again He bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard this, they began to go away one by one, beginning with the older ones, until only Jesus was left, with the woman standing there. Then Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, Lord,” she answered. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Now go and sin no more.”