Christ Walking on the Sea
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Accession Number
1896-31-19
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
In the hallowed tradition of 17th-century French printmaking, Michel Lasne *Christ Walking on the* (ca. 1650) captures a pivotal biblical miracle from the Gospel of Matthew. Here, Jesus strides across stormy waters toward his frightened disciples in a boat, embodying divine power over nature and faith amid turmoil. Lasne, a engraver active in Paris (ca. 1590–1667), crafted this print during the Baroque era, a time when religious imagery flourished to inspire devotion amid the Catholic Counter-Reformation. As a print, the work exemplifies the era's innovative reproductive techniques, likely an...