Auferweckung des Lazarus

The Resurrection of Lazarus

According to the New Testament (John 11), Lazarus had been dead for four days when Jesus visited his grave and miraculously brought him back to life. The drama of Lazarus's resurrection offered Wtewael the opportunity to represent excited figures in contorted poses, employing dynamic hand gestures.

The recent restoration of this painting at the National Gallery yielded many intriguing discoveries. The painting served as a model for several copies made by Wtewael and his studio. Wtewael seems to have returned to the picture at a later date and made a number of changes, such as enlarging the size of the basket in the foreground and altering the colours of some of the garments for aesthetic effect.