Artwork
Raising the Young Man of Nain
Raising the Young Man of Nain is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist David Teniers the Younger. It dates from 1656 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Christ, positioned at the center, extends his right hand in a gesture of command, while the shrouded corpse begins to rise, its head emerging from the bier.
The painting depicts the biblical miracle of Christ raising the young man of Nain from the dead, recounted in the Gospel of Luke (7:11–17). A group of mourners, led by the youth’s mother, carries his bier toward the town gate, where Jesus and his disciples await. Christ, positioned at the center, extends his right hand in a gesture of command, while the shrouded corpse begins to rise, its head emerging from the bier.
The scene is rendered in Teniers’ characteristic small scale and restrained palette, emphasizing intimate human drama over dramatic spectacle.
The composition underscores themes of divine compassion and the triumph of life over death, aligning with Counter-Reformation emphases on Christ’s miraculous power and the intercessory role of saints and holy figures.
Technique & Style
David Teniers the Younger executed Raising the Younger of Nain in 1656 using oil paint applied to a panel support. The work is classified as a religious miniature, measuring 21 cm in height and 29 cm in width. This small-scale format is characteristic of the artist's handling of biblical narratives during this period.
The painting depicts the biblical scene with figures including Jesus Christ, a man, a woman, and stairs, rendered in the artist's distinctive style for religious art of the mid-17th century.
History & Provenance
The painting was created in 1656 by David Teniers the Younger as an oil on panel work, originally classified as a religious genre scene. Its early ownership passed to John Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough, and subsequently to his son George Spencer-Churchill, 8th Duke of Marlborough. The work remained in the family collection until its transfer to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it has been part of the permanent collection since acquisition.
The painting is housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it holds inventory number 2011.11. The work was part of the Spencer-Churchill family collection, owned by John Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough, and subsequently by George Spencer-Churchill, 8th Duke of Marlborough, before entering the museum's holdings. It has been exhibited in major retrospectives of Teniers' oeuvre, including the 1972–1973 exhibition "David Teniers the Younger" at the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the 2006–2007 traveling exhibition "The Art of David Teniers" shown at the Kunsthalle Basel and the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
Overview
David Teniers the Younger’s oil on canvas, Raising the Young Man of Nain, dates from 1656 and is part of the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The work presents a biblical episode in a bustling composition that splits the picture plane into two distinct levels, linking earthly sorrow with a distant, elevated presence.
Artist & collection
Artist
David Teniers the Younger or David Teniers II was a Flemish Baroque painter, printmaker, and artist.
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