Raising of Lazarus

Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (Il Grechetto)

1645–50 · Etching · Drawings and Prints

This print conveys Castiglione’s distinctive technique, including a rich tenebrism (suggestion of darkness) inspired by the etchings of Rembrandt. The subject is the Biblical miracle in which Jesus revives Lazarus of Bethany, who has been dead and buried for four days. Castiglione’s method skillfully complements his conception of the remarkable event. The torch held by onlookers is outshone by the radiance of Christ at right, but a dim light also appears around Lazarus’s outstretched hands as he returns to life.

Artist

Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (Il Grechetto)

Date

1645–50

Medium

Etching

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1917