Jesus with Martha and Mary

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

The workshop of Pannemaker, one of the leading wood engravers in Paris, cut this design for the Bible of 1866; the name is printed at the lower right.

Jesus sits by an open doorway in a low room roofed with beams, the bright garden of palms behind Him. Mary sits on the ground close by, her head veiled, listening. Martha stands at the left with her back to us, a jug in her hand, half in shadow. Doré lets the daylight come in through the door and fall on Jesus and Mary.

From the text

“a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home” (Luke 10:38)

Mary “sat at the Lord’s feet listening to His message” (Luke 10:39)

“Martha was distracted by all the preparations to be made” (Luke 10:40)

The artist’s own

Martha shown from behind, with a jug, as if she has just come in from her work

Palm trees and sunlight through the door of a dark, beamed room

Details

Martha

She stands with her back to us, a scarf on her head.

The jug

Martha holds a jug against the wall.

Jesus

He sits by the doorway and opens His hand as He speaks.

Mary

Veiled, she sits on the ground with her hands in her lap, listening.

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

Luke 10:38–42As they traveled along, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to His message. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations to be made. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord replied, “you are worried and upset about many things. But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.”