Window mode follows your eyes with your camera, in this browser only: no picture or position leaves your device.
The Raising of Lazarus
Mesteren for Skt. Maria Magdalena-Legenden (Netherlandish, 1486–1524)
earlier ascribed to Lucas van Leyden (Dutch, 1494–1533)
earlier ascribed to Mesteren fra det hell. blods broderskab (Netherlandish, 1516–1525)
1515-1520
- Medium
- Oil on panel
- Classification
- Painting
- Dimensions
- width 135.5 cm, height 145.5 cm, height 130.3 cm, width 116.6 cm
- Culture
- Netherlandish
- Museum
- SMK – National Gallery of Denmark
- Rights
- Public Domain Mark: SMK waives its rights in this photograph, as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Teens profiles and older: its museum says too little about what it shows to place it for younger viewers. How works are placed
View at the SMK – National Gallery of Denmark
About this work
The story of Lazarus, who had been dead and buried for four days before Jesus brought him back to life, is related in the Bible (John 11:1-44). In this painting the main protagonist is neither Jesus (the standing figure in blue) nor the pasty-green Lazarus. The main focus here falls on the sister of Lazarus, Mary Magdalene, whose story is recounted in the apocryphal “Golden Legend”. The scenes in the background show some of the pious deeds of Mary Magdalene, made during the ten years after the resurrection of Lazarus. The painting originally served as the centrepiece of a triptych altarpiece; it used to be twice the size and had a curving top. In its present form it features later additions that have been painted in other colours to show that they are not original.
