Saint Joseph Seeks a Lodging in Bethlehem (Saint Joseph cherche un gîte à Bethléem)

James Tissot

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Object Label

In the biblical narrative, Mary and Joseph live in Nazareth but must journey to Bethlehem, the ancestral home of Joseph’s family, to be counted in a census imposed by the Romans. On their arrival in the town, Joseph searches for lodgings without success. Tissot contrasts Joseph’s anxious plea—calling up to townspeople in hopes of finding accommodation—with the Virgin Mary’s quiet resignation.

Tissot’s expeditions to the Middle East in the 1880s provided rich source material for his watercolor compositions. The thick masonry walls and labyrinthine alleys of Jaffa, an ancient port city near modern Tel Aviv in Israel, serve here, with minor revisions, as the backdrop of Bethlehem.

Caption

James Tissot Nantes, France, 1836–1902, Chenecey–Buillon, France. Saint Joseph Seeks a Lodging in Bethlehem (Saint Joseph cherche un gîte à Bethléem), 1886–1894. Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper, Image: 10 7/16 x 6 5/8 in. (26.5 x 16.8 cm) Sheet: 10 7/16 x 6 5/8 in. (26.5 x 16.8 cm) Frame: 20 x 15 x 1 1/2 in. (50.8 x 38.1 x 3.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchased by public subscription, 00.159.23. No known copyright restrictions (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 00.159.23_PS1.jpg)

Gallery

Not on view

Collection

European Art

Title

Saint Joseph Seeks a Lodging in Bethlehem (Saint Joseph cherche un gîte à Bethléem)

Date

1886–1894

Geography

Place made: France

Medium

Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper

Classification

Watercolor

Dimensions

Image: 10 7/16 x 6 5/8 in. (26.5 x 16.8 cm) Sheet: 10 7/16 x 6 5/8 in. (26.5 x 16.8 cm) Frame: 20 x 15 x 1 1/2 in. (50.8 x 38.1 x 3.8 cm)

Signatures

Signed bottom right: "J.J. Tissot"

Credit Line

Purchased by public subscription

Accession Number

00.159.23

Rights

No known copyright restrictions

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