Jesus Walks on the Sea

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

H. Pisan, who signed at the lower right, engraved this wide night seascape. Doré gives nearly the whole sheet to water and sky; the figures are small, and the story is told by the distance between them.

Jesus walks away from us across the waves, barefoot, his robe whipped by the wind, one arm raised toward the boat. Far off, the boat heels in the swell, its sail and the disciples dark against a bright strip of horizon. Foam breaks on a crest at the left.

From the text

“the boat was already far from land, buffeted by the waves” (Matthew 14:24)

“During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea” (Matthew 14:25)

“Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27)

The artist’s own

Jesus seen from behind, so that we follow him toward the boat

A band of light on the horizon in the last hours of the night

Peter’s attempt to walk on the water is not shown

Details

Jesus

Barefoot, his robe blown back, he walks on the waves.

The raised hand

He lifts his arm toward the boat.

The boat

The disciples’ boat heels over far out in the swell.

The crest

White foam breaks on a wave at the left.

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.