Christ and the Centurion

Artist Paolo Veronese (Italian, 1528-1588)

Place of OriginVenice, Italy

Dateabout 1575-1580

DimensionsPainting: 39 1/8 × 52 1/2 in. (99.4 × 133.4 cm)
Frame: 54 1/4 × 67 1/4 × 2 3/4 in. (137.8 × 170.8 × 7 cm)

MediumOil on canvas

ClassificationPaintings

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1966.129

On View

Toledo Museum of Art (2445 Monroe Street), Gallery, 15

Collections

Paintings

Published ReferencesToledo Museum of Art, The Toledo Museum of Art, European Paintings, Toledo, 1976, p. 164, pl. 17.

"La Chronique des Arts," Gazette des Beaux-Arts, vol. 73, no. 241, Feb. 1969, p. 57, repr.

"Treasures for Toledo," Toledo Museum of Art Museum News, vol. 12, no. 4, Winter, 1969, p. 98, repr.

"Outstanding Exhibitions," Apollo, vol. 91, no. 98, April 1970, p. 316, repr.

Kultzen, R. and P. Eikemeier, Venezianische Gemälde des 15, und 16, Jahrhunderts, (Alte Pinakothek Gemäldekataloge, vol. IX) Munich, 1971, p. 222.

Morse, John D., Old Master Paintings in North America, New York, 1979, p. 294.

Mühlberger, Richard, The Bible in Art: The New Testament, New York, 1990, p. 67, repr. (col.).

Rowlands, Eliot W., The Collections of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Italian Paintings 1300-1800, Kansas City, 1966, p. 200.

Agnew, Geoffrey, Agnew's 1817-1967, London, 1967, repr.

Comparative ReferencesSee also Marini, Remiglio, L'opera completa del Veronese, Milan, 1968, p. 133, no. 154.Label TextThe Biblical story of Christ and the Centurion poses a challenge for an artist since it tells of a miracle that occurs “off stage.” As described in Matthew 8:5-13, a Roman centurion in Capernaum approached Christ and beseeched him to heal his ill servant who was at the soldier’s home. "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word and my servant will be healed." Marveling at the man's faith, Christ responded, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." Christ's gesture of blessing and the convincing piety of the kneeling centurion communicate that the miracle has been accomplished. Paolo Caliari, known as Veronese after his birthplace (Verona), was one of the leading masters active in and around Venice in the mid to late 1500s. Venetian Renaissance painters were known for their oil painting technique that often emphasized soft, almost blurred contours, textured brushstrokes, and the layering of glazes to achieve luminous colors (see also Jacopo Bassano in this gallery).