works

Galleries and Reading Room

Library

Wellcome Café

Wellcome Kitchen

Wellcome Shop

To make your visit as safe and enjoyable as possible, you’ll need to follow our safety measures inside our venue, including wearing a face covering unless you’re exempt. Find out how we're keeping you safe. You no longer need to book a ticket to enter the museum or library.

We’re undertaking research with website visitors to find out some more about you and what you thought about your visit. This survey will take less than 10 minutes to complete. Thank you for your time!

What brought you to our website today?

The text from Isaiah ("And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising") is compared with the story from Matthew 2.2 about the kings following the star to Bethlehem. Light emanates from the finger of the Christ child. The kings all hold vases; a crown and a sceptre lie on the ground. One king looks Arabian. A broken wooden roof joins with a large pillar

1 print : line engraving with etching ; platemark 55.5 x 33.1 cm

The three kings bring offerings to the infant Jesus. Engraving by N. Dorigny after C. Maratta.

The sick and lame bend before the apostle Peter, hoping for cure. Coloured lithograph, 1863, after Masaccio.

Bible. N.T. Luke 1.26-35. A circle of cherubs spin around the Holy Spirit, which shoots its light into Mary's shoulder. The angel Gabriel kneels on a cloud. The Virgin is studiously reading and perhaps writing (there is an inkpot on the table); next to her stands an empty chair; her sewing instruments (from her days in the Temple) lie around her feet. On the other side of the court a chair stands against an exterior wall. On the other side of it rests an upturned pillar among the foliage
The attitudes and postures of the Virgin and the angel have varied significantly and even interchanged in Christian iconography. The plethora of differing images of the Annunciation provides a real insight into the history of emotion and its representation in gesture. The variations of the Virgin's posture provide much of the interest. Her hand is usually active; sometimes she is intently studying, sometimes she is in a gesture of almost carnal surprise. She may be glorified, or on the other hand she may kneel. Then the angel varies in relation to her: he might kneel before her. After the Council of Trent, the angel was set in the air, "reacting against", as Réau suggests, "the excessive 'familiarity' of religious art of the 15th century". On these issues, see L. Réau, 'Iconographie de l'art chrétien'. Presses Universitaires de France : Paris, 1957, vol. 2, book 2, pp. 178-187 (particularly p. 182)

The Virgin looks up at the announcing angel; cherubs spin in a circle around the Holy Spirit. Engraving after J. Callot (?).

Bible. N.T. Matthew 3.13-17; Mark 1.9-13; Luke 3.21-22. John 1.29-32. Jesus leaves his sandals on the bank

1 print : line engraving ; platemark 25 x 28 cm

The baptism of Christ; two angels bear witness, the crowd points and the holy spirit descends. Engraving by F. Keller after J.F. Overbeck.

Bible. N.T. Matthew 3.13-17; Mark 1.9-13; Luke 3.21-22. John 1.29-32. John the Baptist carries a flag attached to his reed cross. It reads: "Ecce agnus dei". John has his eyes turned up towards the light of the Holy Spirit. Two priests, Pharisees or Sadducees, watch the scene from top-left

1 print : lithograph ; image 32.9 x 43.8 cm

The baptism of Christ. Lithograph by M. Fanoli, 1849, after G. Jäger.

Inset shows two cherubs in clouds around the dazzling sacred tetragrammaton
The sick proceed out of the dimness of one side of the print towards the half-light in which Christ stands. On the other side, behind two anxious apostles (Peter is closest to Christ), the Pharisees dispute in a glaring light. A woman stands in front of Christ with her baby; a rich young man next to her has his hand clasped to his face. A camel enters from the dark side, behind a cart carrying a child. K.G. Boon, in 'Rembrandt: the complete etchings' (Thames & Hudson : London, 1963), suggests that the print is known as 'The hundred guilder print' because the subject matter is too huge for a simple title; it combines "in one representation the whole nineteenth chapter of the Gospel of St. Matthew, wherein the essence of Christ's ministry is set forth"

1 print : etching ; platemark 25.1 x 28.8 cm

Christ stands among sick people and Pharisees ('The hundred guilder print'). Etching after Rembrandt, 1649.

Bible. N.T. Acts 9.1-7. Paul's eyes are wide open as he falls. In the text he is blinded by the light but is soon cured by Ananias

1 print : mezzotint ; image 48.5 x 35.5 cm

Paul undergoes a mystical experience on the way to Damascus; he falls from his horse. Mezzotint by G.H. Every after H. Dayes.

The plague of darkness with which the Egyptians were afflicted by God in his wrath at their treatment of the Jews is described in the Old Testament, Exodus, chapter X, 21-23

1 print : wood engraving ; image 6.5 x 6.5 cm

The plague of darkness. Wood engraving by Hermann Fechenbach, ca. 1930.

St. Peter stands before Christ with the keys to heaven. On the left of Christ an apostle points to words on a scroll. In the left foreground, a figure points out to another the light descending from the Holy Spirit onto the brook below. To the right stands a more pagan selection of figures, with laurel wreaths, bows and ornate crowns. Behind them, the leviathan peers through branches. An incense burner sits on the ground, puffing smoke

The resurrected Christ appears before the apostles and other people. Etching.

1 print : line engraving with etching ; platemark 22 x 31 cm

Wellcome uses cookies.

More filters

Active filters:

The three kings bring offerings to the infant Jesus. Engraving by N. Dorigny after C. Maratta.

The sick and lame bend before the apostle Peter, hoping for cure. Coloured lithograph, 1863, after Masaccio.

The Virgin looks up at the announcing angel; cherubs spin in a circle around the Holy Spirit. Engraving after J. Callot (?).

The baptism of Christ; two angels bear witness, the crowd points and the holy spirit descends. Engraving by F. Keller after J.F. Overbeck.

The baptism of Christ. Lithograph by M. Fanoli, 1849, after G. Jäger.

Christ stands among sick people and Pharisees ('The hundred guilder print'). Etching after Rembrandt, 1649.

Paul undergoes a mystical experience on the way to Damascus; he falls from his horse. Mezzotint by G.H. Every after H. Dayes.

The plague of darkness. Wood engraving by Hermann Fechenbach, ca. 1930.

The resurrected Christ appears before the apostles and other people. Etching.

The Virgin laments over the dead Christ. Engraving by R. Sadeler after A. Figino.

Stay in the know

Wellcome collection

Finding us:

Opening times:

Today's opening times

Wellcome uses cookies.

Search the collections

More filters

Active filters:

The three kings bring offerings to the infant Jesus. Engraving by N. Dorigny after C. Maratta.

The sick and lame bend before the apostle Peter, hoping for cure. Coloured lithograph, 1863, after Masaccio.

The Virgin looks up at the announcing angel; cherubs spin in a circle around the Holy Spirit. Engraving after J. Callot (?).

The baptism of Christ; two angels bear witness, the crowd points and the holy spirit descends. Engraving by F. Keller after J.F. Overbeck.

The baptism of Christ. Lithograph by M. Fanoli, 1849, after G. Jäger.

Christ stands among sick people and Pharisees ('The hundred guilder print'). Etching after Rembrandt, 1649.

Paul undergoes a mystical experience on the way to Damascus; he falls from his horse. Mezzotint by G.H. Every after H. Dayes.

The plague of darkness. Wood engraving by Hermann Fechenbach, ca. 1930.

The resurrected Christ appears before the apostles and other people. Etching.

The Virgin laments over the dead Christ. Engraving by R. Sadeler after A. Figino.

Stay in the know

Wellcome collectionWellcome Collection

Finding us:

Opening times:

Today's opening times

Wellcome collection