A man in a grey tunic hurries across the field.
Bible in art · Matthew
The Enemy Who Sows (L'Ennemi qui sème)
James Tissot · 1886–1894
Brooklyn Museum, New York
In the parable an enemy comes by night and sows weeds among the wheat. Tissot made him a lone man in a grey tunic and yellow headcloth, hurrying across a field at dusk and throwing seed as he goes.
He glances back over his shoulder. Behind him rise a fig tree with yellowing leaves, a pale rock face and a dark green hill against a glowing evening sky.
From the text
- “while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away” (Matthew 13:25)
- A man “sowed good seed in his field” (Matthew 13:24)
The artist’s own
- The enemy looking back as he slips away
- A rocky hillside at dusk
Details
The enemy
Throwing seed
His outstretched hand scatters the seed.
The fig tree
A tree with yellow leaves stands in the field.
The evening sky
The last light glows behind the hill.
James Tissot, French, 1836–1902. Brooklyn Museum, New York (Purchased by public subscription, 00.159.96) · Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper · Brooklyn Museum (Commons file page, «Permission»): "This image was uploaded by the Brooklyn Museum as a content partnership, and is considered to have no known copyright restrictions by the institutions of the Brooklyn Museum." — "No known copyright restrictions".