Christ Receiving the Children
c. 1655
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
100.3 × 135.2 cm (39 1/2 × 53 1/4 in.); Framed: 120.4 × 153.7 cm (47 3/8 × 60 1/2 in.)
Classification
oil on canvas
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
9672
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
In this illustration of an episode from the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament, Jesus (reclining at center) admonishes his disciples not to prevent little children from approaching him. Sébastien Bourdon’s figures wear draperies in the antique fashion, and the setting evokes both ancient Rome and the Christian Holy Land. One of the most versatile and successful 17th-century French painters, Bourdon emulated the rigorous classical style of Nicolas Poussin. Bourdon knew Poussin’s work (such as t...
Art Historical Context
In the heart of the Art Institute of's European Painting and Sculpture collection hangs *Christ Receiving the Children*, captivating oil on canvas by French Baroque artist Sébastien Bourdon, painted around 1655. Measuring nearly 100 by 135 cm, this substantial work exemplifies the grandeur of 17th-century religious painting, with its rich oils allowing Bourdon to achieve luminous effects and deep shadows that draw viewers into the sacred scene. The composition depicts a tender moment from the Gospels (Mark 10:13-16), where Jesus welcomes children despite disciples' objections, emphasizing humility and divine love. Bourdon, influenced by Caravaggesque tenebrism during his Roman sojourn and the realism of the Le Nain brothers back in Paris, blends dramatic chiaroscuro with gentle naturalism. Children's expressive faces and flowing drapery convey emotional warmth, reflecting Baroque ideals of spiritual intensity and human emotion amid Counter-Reformation fervor. This piece highlights Bourdon's versatility—from history painting to portraiture—and underscores oil on canvas's role in disseminating religious narratives to the faithful. A timeless reminder of compassion, it invites modern visitors to ponder faith's enduring embrace.
About the Artist
Sébastien Bourdon · 1616–1671
Sébastien Bourdon (1616–1671) was a French Baroque painter of remarkable versatility and restless ambition, whose career carried him from the workshops of Paris to the courts of Rome and Stockholm before he returned to France to become a founding member of one of Europe's most important artistic institutions. Born on 2 February 1616 in Montpellier into a Protestant family, Bourdon was apprenticed ...