The Raising of Lazarus

Rembrandt's genius enabled him to select the moment of greatest psychological transformation for his biblical narratives. This is what gives his religious etchings such dramatic power. In this story, Lazarus had been dead in his tomb for four days when Jesus had the stone rolled back and cried, Lazarus, come out! It was Christ's crowning miracle, the one that cemented the crowd's belief in him. In The Raising of Lazarus, Rembrandt puts the focus on the bystanders, who gesticulate in amazement. The space around Lazarus is flooded with light, while the recesses of the cave dissolve into darkness.