The Raising of Lazarus

Rembrandt · circa 1630–1632
LACMA, Los Angeles

Rembrandt painted this panel in Leiden around 1630–1632, in his mid-twenties, still working in his home town. It is his only painting of the miracle, though he also drew and etched it; it came to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1972.

Almost everything is darkness. Jesus stands on the edge of the tomb with one arm raised, and the light falls on Lazarus as he lifts his pale face out of the grave, and on the startled faces of the people watching.

From the text

The tomb, “a cave with a stone laid across the entrance” (John 11:38)

“Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43)

He came out “with his hands and feet bound in strips of linen” (John 11:44)

The people standing by (John 11:42)

The artist’s own

A grave dug into the floor of the cave

Weapons hanging on the wall — a quiver, a bow and a sabre

The onlookers in turbans and Eastern-looking dress

Details

Jesus

Standing above the grave, his right arm raised high.

Lazarus

In white grave-clothes, his pale face lifted out of the grave.

Startled

A young woman throws up both hands.

On the wall

A quiver, a bow and a curved sabre with red straps.

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn, Dutch, 1606–1669. Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Gift of H. F. Ahmanson and Company, in memory of Howard F. Ahmanson; M.72.67.2) · Oil on wood panel · LACMA Terms of Use: for works from its collections marked as public domain, "LACMA is providing high resolution images of these works free of charge and for use without restriction." (LACMA collections record for object 29963: "publicDomain": 1, with 'Download Images')

The verses

John 11:38–44Jesus, once again deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” Jesus said. “Lord, by now he stinks,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man. “It has already been four days.” Jesus replied, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted His eyes upward and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me, but I say this for the benefit of the people standing here, so they may believe that You sent Me.” After Jesus had said this, He called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The man who had been dead came out with his hands and feet bound in strips of linen, and his face wrapped in a cloth. “Unwrap him and let him go,” Jesus told them.