Joshua, with the Sun at Upper Left
With this oil sketch, Flandrin prepared his design for the figure of Joshua, one of the heroes of the Old Testament that he painted in the nave of the Church of Saint-Germain-des-Près in Paris. The interior redecoration of the old abbey was one of the most ambitious religious decorative programs completed in France in the nineteenth century. Here, Joshua points to the sun, which he commands to stand still to ensure Israel's victory over the Amorites (Joshua 10:12). The study reveals Flandrin's considerable gifts as a colorist with the green silk tunic contrasting against the scarlet cloak.
Artwork Details
- Title: Joshua, with the Sun at Upper Left
- Artist: Hippolyte Flandrin (French, Lyons 1809–1864 Rome)
- Date: 1856–1863
- Medium: Oil over pen and brown ink on thin paper, laid down on board
- Dimensions: 13 7/16 x 5 5/8 in. (34.2 x 14.3cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Van Day Truex Fund, 1985
- Object Number: 1985.246.2
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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