Christ With Mary And Martha, Gouache On Paper, 18th Century

Christ with Mary and Martha
European school, 18th century
Signature at the bottom right, difficult to decipher: Le XXX
Frame 28x24 cm

Gouache on paper representing the Gospel scene of Jesus with Mary and Martha of Bethany (Gospel according to Saint Luke, 10, 38-42):
"As Jesus was on the road with his disciples, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha received him into her house.
She had a sister named Mary, who, having sat at the Lord's feet, listened to his word. Martha, busy with various domestic chores, came and said: "Lord, do you not care that my sister leaves me to serve all alone? Tell her to help me."
The Lord answered her: "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. Only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the better part, it will not be taken away from her."

Seated inside a house, Christ, dressed in a red tunic and a blue cloak, teaches in pointing to the sky with a gesture of the hand. At her feet, Mary kneels in an attitude of listening and adoration, while her sister Martha stands behind her, in a posture of attention mixed with concern.
The composition emphasizes the spiritual contrast between Martha's earthly activity and Mary's contemplation, a theme that has inspired many Christian artists since the Renaissance.
The bold colors and decorative details (curtain, steps, golden fabric) enrich this small, intimate scene.
The format of this version was suitable for private devotion and domestic oratories.

Antique gilded wood frame, probably 18th century.

The scene of Martha and Mary, sometimes called “the Gospel of listening,” enjoyed great iconographic success, particularly in the Baroque period, when it illustrated the primacy of contemplation over worldly agitation.