Resurrection 1685 - 1722

This is Claude Gillot's etching, "Resurrection," made in France in the early 18th century. Gillot was not only a painter but also a designer for the opera and theater, and that sensibility is on display here. The image depicts the moment Jesus rises from the tomb, surrounded by angels and Roman soldiers who are struck with awe and terror. In the context of 18th-century France, a deeply Catholic society ruled by a monarchy that claimed divine right, images like this were not merely devotional. They reinforced social hierarchies, reminding viewers of the power of the church and the authority of the king. But Gillot's theatrical style, with its emphasis on drama and emotion, also suggests a more complex relationship to these institutions. Was he simply reinforcing the status quo, or was he using spectacle to question it? Historians can look to period writings, sermons, and political pamphlets, to better understand the many ways that religious imagery like this operated in the social landscape of its time. Ultimately, the meaning of this artwork is contingent on the cultural and institutional context in which it was created and viewed.