Elisha Raising the Son of Shunamite
This painting illustrates a passage from the Old Testament in which Elisha revives the dead son of a Shunamite widow. Leighton has chosen to depict the moment Elisha stretched across the boy to begin returning him to life. This is a striking composition; the contrasting figures of the elderly prophet and the youthful boy illuminated against the darkened background. The pale and lifeless flesh of the child is emphasised by the deathly white of the sheets he is wrapped in.
1881
Oil on canvas
127.0 x 174.0cm
LH0377
Image and text © The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, 2020
Where you'll find this
Leighton House
Permanent collection