Jean Billard (1899-1997) - Prayer Of Gethsemane

Oil on canvas. This work was presented by the artist at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1930. Deploying a mystical and elegant symbolism, subtly evoking Surrealism and the gentle figures popularized by Salvador Dalí, the artist composes a rocky landscape inspired by the paintings of the Flemish Primitives or the immortal Mantegna. Against this backdrop unfolds the most dramatic and fateful moment in Christ's life after the Crucifixion. Despairing and aware of his imminent death, the Messiah confides in his Father, submitting to His will while revealing the doubts inherent in his humanity. Tall cypress trees, vertiginous cliffs, and clouds suggesting the simultaneously powerful and futile nature of divinity lend this scene from the Gospel an undeniable theological and artistic force. Dimensions of the image without frame: 90 x 130 cm