“athaliah Driven From The Temple” French School Of The 18th Century.

Oil on canvas.
H.80 x W.64 cm H. 102 x W. 85 cm
Stucco frame from the early 19th century (small incident which will be repaired).

Reproduction of the famous Coypel exhibited at the Louvre Museum (156 cm x 213 cm). Between 1695 and 1701, Antoine Coypel produced a series of seven canvases inspired by the Old Testament, belonging to the "Grand genre". These works were so successful that in 1710, he received a commission for enlarged replicas of his compositions. Upon the death of Louis XIV in 1715, Coypel was appointed first painter to the king.

The painting illustrates a biblical episode taken from the Second Book of Kings (chapter XI): the expulsion of Athaliah from the temple. To seize power, Athaliah had ordered the massacre of all the royal heirs. However, Josabeth, wife of the high priest Joad, manages to save Athaliah's seven-year-old grandson Joash. The child has just been proclaimed king of Judah, with the support of the people and the army. Furious, Athaliah interrupts the ceremony, enters the temple, and attempts to attack the child. She is then arrested by the soldiers, who drag her from the sanctuary despite her cries and resistance.
The composition of the painting revolves around two main figures: Athaliah, pushed out of the temple, and Joash seated on the throne. These two poles are united by the central figure of the high priest Joad, who plays a pivotal role in the scene. In the background, the austerity of the architecture is softened by a large decorative drape highlighting the throne. While the figures in the background form a sort of frieze, those in the foreground, kneeling, frame a large empty space, structured according to two diagonals converging towards the high priest.