Artwork
The Prophet Elijah with the Widow of Zarephath and her Son
The Prophet Elijah with the Widow of Zarephath and her Son is a photography by Unknown. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1650, the work titled The Prophet Elijah with the Widow of Zarephath and her Son is attributed to the anonymous hand catalogued as 21974_person. Executed as an oil painting, it is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography. The composition presents three figures gathered around a modest table in a dim interior, illuminated by a single fire.
Subject & Meaning
The presence of Elijah, distinguished by his long white beard and brown robes, underscores themes of divine provision and compassion.
The scene draws from the biblical narrative in which the prophet Elijah visits a destitute widow in Zarephath. The central female figure, clothed in a dark dress with a white apron and head covering, offers hospitality, while the child holds a plate, suggesting a shared meal. The presence of Elijah, distinguished by his long white beard and brown robes, underscores themes of divine provision and compassion.
Technique & Style
The painter employs chiaroscuro to model form and generate spatial depth. A warm firelight bathes the faces of the three characters, creating a subtle gradation of tone against the surrounding shadows. The contrast between illuminated flesh and darkened furnishings enhances texture, while the restrained palette of browns, whites, and muted earth tones reflects a Baroque sensibility toward dramatic lighting.
History & Provenance
The artwork entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings at an unspecified date, where it remains on display. Its attribution to the anonymous 21974_person reflects cataloguing practices that assign a placeholder identifier to works lacking a documented creator. The painting’s dating to the mid‑17th century aligns it with European religious genre scenes of the period.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
Peasant Interior with an Old Flute Player
Peasant Interior
An Old Woman Twisting Threads and Two Children in the Room
The Happy Family
Nursing Mother, and Child with Serving Maid
Family scene
Visit to Grandmother
A Family Meal
Distribution of Charity in the Alms-House
Sending the Boy for Beer
Saying Grace
The Prophet Elijah with the Widow of Zarephath and her Son