The Massacre of the Innocents

Artist Sébastien Bourdon (French, 1616–1671)

Dateearly 1640s

Mediumoil on canvas

Dimensionscanvas: 43.7 x 60.2 cm (17 3/16 x 23 11/16 in.)

ClassificationsPaintings

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Terms

Object number1953.79

Label TextBourdon chose to portray the massacre of the innocents by King Herod’s troops rather than depict the more popular scene of the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt. His work emphasizes the drama and emotion of the horrific event. The mothers of the slain infants cry out and wave their arms in the air while other women struggle against the soldiers to protect their children. In contrast to the chaotic tangle of the figures of the women, children and soldiers, King Herod sits calmly in the upper left in front of his advisers, directing the massacre with his outstretched arm. The background is a rather indistinct temple setting with a hint of an Egyptian pyramid—a marked contrast to the elaborate, detailed background landscapes of the earlier Flemish paintings of the same subject.ProvenanceMessrs. P. and D. Colnaghi & Co., London England

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