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Christ in Gethsemane by Heinrich Hofmann

Christ in Gethsemane by Heinrich Hofmann

On this canvas we see unfolding the opening scene of Jesus Christ’s atonement from Matthew 26:36-44, Mark 14:32-41, and Luke 22:39-46. The spiritual drama of Gethsemane is emphasized with spot lighting and the intense wringing of hands, yet Christ’s sensitively rendered face remains placid. The features of a garden have been reduced to flinty stones and a prickly thorn bush that prefigures a crown of thorns. The picture’s success lies in the appropriateness of its tone: the transformation of abject agony into a palatable scene of devotion. Christ’s solitude may well reflect Hofmann’s own isolation and reliance upon faith; his wife, who was often in poor health, passed away only months after the completion of Gethsemane, leaving Hofmann a widower for nearly 20 years

Details

Created
1886
Medium
oil on canvas
Passage
Matthew 26:39

Found in: Matthew, Matthew 26, 19th century

Matthew 26:39

39 He went forward a little, fell on his face, and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I desire, but what you desire.”

Matthew 26:39 · World English Bible

The artist

Heinrich Hofmann

Heinrich Hofmann

1824 - 1911

Darmstadt, Germany

Heinrich Hofmann grew up in a family that harbored a deep interest in art. His father, advocate Heinrich Karl Hofmann (1795–1845) painted in watercolors, his mother Sophie Hofmann, née Volhard (1798–1854) gave lessons in art before she married, and his four brothers all showed artistic talent. Heinrich, however, was the only one for whom art was not only a profession but the center of his life.

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Resources

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