This evocative mid-19th-century oil painting, attributed to an artist working in the circle of French artist Félix-Joseph Barrias (1822-1907), depicts one of the most enduring moments in Christian scripture, the Temptation of Christ. 

Stranded in the wilderness, following forty days of fasting, Christ is harangued by Satan. His offer is one of dominion over every kingdom, in exchange for submission. Christ, steadfast in the face of coercion, conquers temptation through faith and resolve.

In a scene laden with tension, we see Christ seated upon a ledge atop an “exceedingly high mountain”, overlooking “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory”. It’s a panorama of human achievement, and all could be his. The Devil, a ghoulish winged creature, leans persuasively to assert his offer, stretching a muscular arm towards a false paradise.

Based upon the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, The Temptation was a theme that resonated among French painters of the mid-19th century. Artists such as Ary Scheffer (1795–1858) and Félix-Joseph Barrias (1822–1907) brought a sense of humanity, rendering Christ as a man fraught with doubt, rather than a divine entity.

Produced in 1845, our painting was plausibly created by an admirer of Barrias, who, a year prior, achieved the renowned Prix de Rome. As such, the two could've moved in the same society, as many French artists did. Students of the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris often travelled to Italy to further their development, and many sought an income by selling their works.

Stylistically, the painting aligns neatly with Barrias' oeuvre, particularly when one considers its composition, discipline and palette. This suggests that our artist was acutely aware of his rising stock and keen to follow suit. 

But if we look beyond the aesthetic, this vivid message exists outside of its biblical context and becomes a poignant study of inner resistance. Consider the more profound connotations, and it becomes an intriguing allegory of temptation itself.

Held in a mid-19th-century gilt frame with a broad cavetto profile, corner foliate ornament, and traces of original water gilding.

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Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 28½” x 33” / 72cm x 84cm
Year of creation: c. 1845
Provenance: Private collection, Italy.
Condition: Cleaned. Revarnished. Canvas relined. Craquelure throughout. The paint layer is stable. Frame with various marks and showing its age.
Our reference: BRV2146