Who painted The Calling of Elisha?

Jan Massijs painted The Calling of Elisha in 1572.

What Bible passage does The Calling of Elisha depict?

The Calling of Elisha depicts the biblical scene from 1 Kings 19:19-21.

The Calling of Elisha by Jan Massijs

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The Calling of Elisha is a 1572 oil painting by Jan Massijs (also spelled Jan Matsys), a Flemish Renaissance artist known for his religious and genre scenes. The work, painted on panel and measuring 140 x 96 cm, depicts the biblical moment when the prophet Elijah calls Elisha to be his successor. The painting belongs to the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, where it is catalogued under accession number 5024.

Executed in the later years of Massijs’s career, the painting reflects his refined religious style, combining narrative clarity with visual drama. It aligns with Massijs's broader body of work that often blends religious themes with a nuanced depiction of human emotion and gesture.

Details

Artist: Jan Massijs
Created: c. 1572
Medium: oil on panel
Dimension: 140cm × 96cm
Passage: 1 Kings 19:19-21

Found in: 1 Kings, 1 Kings 19, 16th century

1 Kings 19:19-21

19 So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. Elijah went over to him, and put his mantle on him.

20 Elisha left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, “Let me please kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” He said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?”

21 He returned from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, and killed them, and boiled their meat with the instruments of the oxen, and gave to the people, and they ate. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and served him.

1 Kings 19:19-21 · World English Bible

The artist

Jan Massijs

1510 - 1575

Antwerp, Belgium

Jan Massijs (also spelled Matsys) was a Flemish Renaissance painter known for his history paintings, genre scenes, and landscapes. He is especially recognized for his sensual depictions of the female nude, influenced by the stylistic elegance of the School of Fontainebleau.