Christ in the House of Martha and Mary
ca. 1640
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brown wash, over traces of graphite
Dimensions
8 3/16 x 6 9/16 in. (20.8 x 16.6 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of John Morton Morris, 1986
Accession Number
1986.346
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the intimate drawing *Christ in the House of and Mary* (ca. 1640), French artist François Perrier captures a pivotal biblical scene from the Gospel Luke. Here, Jesus visits the sisters Martha and Mary: Martha busies herself with household tasks, while Mary sits attentively at his feet, absorbing his teachings. This moment underscores the tension between active service and contemplative devotion, a theme rich in Christian theology and popular in 17th-century religious art. Perrier, Baroque master influenced by his time in Rome, employs pen and brown ink with brown wash over faint graphite u...