Attributed to
Arnould de Vuez
, French, 1644-1720
Title
The Calling of the Sons of ZebedeeDate1680s
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions
310 x 252 cm
Credit LinePurchased, 1856
Object numberNGI.1889
Label TextThis painting depicts the moment, as told in the New Testament, when James and John became Christ's disciples. The two brothers were mending fishing nets, with their father Zebedee, when Christ appeared on the shore and asked them to join him. In this painting the two new recruits enthusiastically climb out of the boat as their father looks on in shock. The curious tool beside Zebedee is a needle for knitting the fishing net. Arnould de Vuez was a French painter who settled in Lille, and completed many commissions for churches and monasteries in northern France.