Who painted The Calling of Elisha?

The Calling of Elisha was painted by Jan Matsys in 1572.

Where can I see The Calling of Elisha?

The Calling of Elisha is held by Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.

What movement is The Calling of Elisha?

The Calling of Elisha is associated with Northern Renaissance.

Artwork

The Calling of Elisha

Jan Matsys , 1572

The Calling of Elisha is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Jan Matsys. It dates from 1572 and is held in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.

About this work

Overview

Jan Matsys, a Flemish painter of the Northern Renaissance, completed *The Calling of Elisha* in 1572. Executed in oil on canvas, the work is part of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp’s collection. It presents a modest rural landscape that serves as the setting for a biblical encounter, rendered with the compositional clarity typical of Matsys’s oeuvre.

Subject & Meaning

The composition illustrates the moment when the prophet Elijah summons his successor, Elisha, as recounted in the Hebrew Scriptures.

The composition illustrates the moment when the prophet Elijah summons his successor, Elisha, as recounted in the Hebrew Scriptures. Two figures dominate the foreground: a man in a vivid red cloak, likely representing Elijah, extends a gesture toward a younger, bent figure, identified as Elisha, whose expression suggests surprise. The presence of oxen and a stationary wagon underscores the agrarian context of the narrative.

Technique & Style

Matsys employs oil paint to achieve a nuanced tonal range, allowing the sky’s heavy clouds to convey a stormy atmosphere while the landscape recedes in softened blues and greens. The figures are modeled with fine brushwork that captures the texture of the red cloak and the roughness of the dirt road, reflecting the detailed naturalism characteristic of Flemish Renaissance painting.

History & Provenance

Created in the late sixteenth century, the painting entered the holdings of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, where it remains on display. Its provenance traces back to the artist’s workshop, and the work has been documented in the museum’s catalogues as a representative example of Matsys’s religious subjects.

Context

During the Northern Renaissance, Flemish artists often merged biblical themes with everyday settings, making sacred stories accessible to contemporary viewers. Matsys’s choice to place the prophetic call within a familiar countryside, complete with oxen and a wagon, reflects this trend of grounding spiritual narratives in the lived experience of the period’s rural populace.