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The Dead Christ with Angels

1864
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 810

Manet identified the source for this painting, the first of several religious scenes, in the inscription on the rock: the Gospel according to Saint John. However, in the passage cited, Christ’s tomb is empty except for two angels. After Manet sent the canvas to the 1864 Salon, he realized that he had made an even greater departure from the text, depicting Christ’s wound on the wrong side. Despite Charles Baudelaire’s warning that he would "give the malicious something to laugh at," the artist did not correct his mistake. Indeed, critics denounced the picture, particularly the realism of Christ’s cadaverous body.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Dead Christ with Angels
  • Artist: Edouard Manet (French, Paris 1832–1883 Paris)
  • Date: 1864
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 70 5/8 x 59 in. (179.4 x 149.9 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
  • Object Number: 29.100.51
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

More Artwork

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Cat and Flowers, Edouard Manet French, Etching and aquatint; third (final) state; posthumous edition
Cat and Flowers
Edouard Manet
1869
The Smoker (Le Fumeur), Edouard Manet French, Etching on blue laid paper, final state (II)
The Smoker (Le Fumeur)
Edouard Manet
1866–67
Boy with Soap Bubbles, Edouard Manet French, Etching, lavis aquatint, and roulette on laid paper, second state of four
Boy with Soap Bubbles
Edouard Manet
1867–69
The Smoker (Le Fumeur), Edouard Manet French, Etching and drypoint on blue laid paper, only state
The Smoker (Le Fumeur)
Edouard Manet
1879–82
The Water Drinker, Edouard Manet French, Etching and drypoint
The Water Drinker
Edouard Manet
1870–74

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