A man wearing purple robes stands with palms up, with a semi-circle halo above his head.
Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College
Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College

The man (Christ) is painted from the waist up, facing us, his head leans slightly to left with closed eyes, a peaceful face, and long brown hair and beard. The purple garment is draped over his shoulders, torso, and arms. The overall palette contains serene blues and purples, the background is a variation of rich blues. Lighter, warmer hues emanate from the halo in the center to darker cobalt blues in the corners.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1943.307
People
John La Farge, American (New York, NY 1835 - 1910 Providence, RI)
Title
Christ the Redeemer, Study for Window, formerly at Center Church, New Haven
Classification
Drawings
Work Type
drawing
Date
c. 1899
Culture
American
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/307918

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Watercolor over graphite on illustration board
Dimensions
14.8 x 14 cm (5 13/16 x 5 1/2 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
John La Farge estate sale, New York; purchased at that sale by Edward Juston, New York, 1911; purchased by Grenville L. Winthrop, New York, by 1938.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Bequest of Grenville L. Winthrop
Accession Year
1943
Object Number
1943.307
Division
European and American Art
Contact
am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu
Permissions

THIS WORK MAY NOT BE LENT BY THE TERMS OF ITS ACQUISITION TO THE HARVARD ART MUSEUMS.

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Publication History

  • Henry A. La Farge, Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of John La Farge, Unpublished (n.d.), card 186
  • Theodore E. Stebbins, Jr., Virginia Anderson, and Kimberly Orcutt, ed., American Paintings at Harvard, Volume Two, Paintings, Drawings, Pastels and Stained Glass by Artists Born 1826-1856, Harvard Art Museums and Yale University Press (U.S.) (Cambridge, MA and New Haven, CT, 2008), p. 205, cat. 157, ill.

Exhibition History

  • 32Q: 2130 19th Century, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 06/01/2023 - 10/16/2023

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of European and American Art at am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu