1890
oil
canvas
From the collection of Hamburger Kunsthalle
The Twelve-Year-Old Jesus in the Temple is a 1890 oil by Max Liebermann, depicting Jesus Among the Doctors, held at Hamburger Kunsthalle.
This painting depicts a scene from the Bible, where Jesus, aged 12, is surrounded by doctors in the temple. He stands out in a white tunic, while the doctors wear traditional Jewish attire. The setting is a crowded room with a high, vaulted ceiling. The artist's use of chiaroscuro creates a sense of depth and volume, with the light source coming from the left side of the painting. The contrast between light and dark adds to the dramatic effect of the scene. If you're interested in learning more about the artist who created this work, you might want to explore the life and works of Max Liebermann.
The Twelve-Year-Old Jesus in the Temple is an oil-on-canvas painting by German painter Max Liebermann, created in 1879. It is held at the Hamburger Kunsthalle.
Source: wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The episode of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the temple is taken from the Gospel of Luke (Lk 2.42-50), and is often depicted in Christian art, for example in cycles on the life of Mary. Liebermann had the idea for this painting when he visited the Jewish quarter of Amsterdam in 1876. Liebermann was following in the footsteps of Rembrandt, so to speak. He made the first architectural sketches of the Portuguese synagogue while there. In 1878 further studies were made in the Sephardic Synagogue, in Venice; Liebermann took the curved staircase from here, which would be later implemented as a…
Source: wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Liebermann designed a room reminiscent of a synagogue of the 19th century with its chandelier, lectern and benches. The light is depicted as coming from above. Present are several standing and seated men, who are grouped around the standing Child Jesus. In the center of the composition the viewer sees Jesus and two seated Jewish scholars, who are dressed in tallit and are listen intently to the boy. They are at eye level with the standing child and together they form the central group of three people, a semicircle open to the viewer. Their togetherness is also underlined in color by the white…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Source: wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Max Liebermann (20 July 1847 – 8 February 1935) was a German painter and printmaker, and one of the leading proponents of Impressionism in Germany and continental Europe.
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
