Phillip Medhurst

Wisdom from a Gnostic Sage

Tag: ark of the covenant

10_66 Headpiece to 2 Samuel by Sarah van Niekerk

Wood engraving by Sarah van Niekerk (British 1934-2018) in The Reader’s Digest Bible (illustrated edition) 1990

24a  Joshua commanding the Ark and Congregation to pass the river into the Promised Land detail

Joshua commanding the Ark and Congregation to pass the river into the Promised Land. Unpainted. (detail.) Sketch: oil on wood. Panel53.2 x 75.5 x 1 cms panel; 67.7 x 89.5 x 5.6 cms frame. The Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

024  Joshua commanding the Ark and Congregation to pass the river into the Promised Land-1

Joshua commanding the Ark and Congregation to pass the river into the Promised Land. Unpainted. Sketch: oil on wood. Panel53.2 x 75.5 x 1 cms panel; 67.7 x 89.5 x 5.6 cms frame. The Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

283.1/402 David dancing before the ark (2 Samuel 6:14) drawing by James Tissot at the John Rylands Library file created by Phillip Medhurst:

283.2/402 David dancing before the ark (2 Samuel 6:14) gouache on board by Louis de Parys after James Tissot Jewish Museum New York:

The paintings were reproduced in “La Sainte Bible : Ancien Testament . . . / Compositions par J.-James Tissot” with preface by A. D. Sertillanges, introduction by M. de Brunoff and the French version of L. J. Lemaistre de Saci. (Sertillanges, Antonin Gilbert 1863-1948; Le Maistre de Sacy, Isaac-Louis, 1613-1684) 2 vols.: illus., plates: 4to. 40 plates, 360 illustrations to text, by James Tissot (Tissot, Jacques-Joseph, French, 1836-1902). Paris: M. de Brunoff & Cie, 1904.

The edition contains 360 mounted colour, b/w, and duo-tone illustrations in the text and 40 plates in three states, sepia-tone, partly hand-coloured, and finished coloured state. The plates are protected with captioned tissue-guards. The paper size is 15 3/4 x 13 ins; image size varies (c 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 ins).

Illustration was completed after Tissot’s death in 1902 by Henri Bellery-Desfontaines, Auguste François Gorguet, Charles Hoffbauer, Louis van Parys, Michel Simonidy and Georges Bertin Scott.

Of the 561 copies printed, the John Rylands Library (Manchester) copy is an “exemplaire unique”. As well as the triple set of the large plates in various states, and a series of proofs before letters of the illustrations appearing in the text, it contains a water colour drawing by Tissot (“Joseph presents his father Jacob to Pharaoh”), his original pen and ink sketches for this work, and an autograph letter by him.

Files created by Phillip Medhurst: Tissot in Brunoff at the John Rylands

282.1/402 The chastisement of Uzzah (2 Samuel 6:7) drawing by James Tissot at the John Rylands Library file created by Phillip Medhurst:

282.2/402-the-chastisement-of-uzzah-2-samuel-6:7-gouache-on-board-by-louis-de-parys-after-james-tissot-jewish-museum-new-york-presented-by-phillip-medhurst:

The paintings were reproduced in “La Sainte Bible : Ancien Testament . . . / Compositions par J.-James Tissot” with preface by A. D. Sertillanges, introduction by M. de Brunoff and the French version of L. J. Lemaistre de Saci. (Sertillanges, Antonin Gilbert 1863-1948; Le Maistre de Sacy, Isaac-Louis, 1613-1684) 2 vols.: illus., plates: 4to. 40 plates, 360 illustrations to text, by James Tissot (Tissot, Jacques-Joseph, French, 1836-1902). Paris: M. de Brunoff & Cie, 1904.

The edition contains 360 mounted colour, b/w, and duo-tone illustrations in the text and 40 plates in three states, sepia-tone, partly hand-coloured, and finished coloured state. The plates are protected with captioned tissue-guards. The paper size is 15 3/4 x 13 ins; image size varies (c 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 ins).

Illustration was completed after Tissot’s death in 1902 by Henri Bellery-Desfontaines, Auguste François Gorguet, Charles Hoffbauer, Louis van Parys, Michel Simonidy and Georges Bertin Scott.

Of the 561 copies printed, the John Rylands Library (Manchester) copy is an “exemplaire unique”. As well as the triple set of the large plates in various states, and a series of proofs before letters of the illustrations appearing in the text, it contains a water colour drawing by Tissot (“Joseph presents his father Jacob to Pharaoh”), his original pen and ink sketches for this work, and an autograph letter by him.

Files created by Phillip Medhurst: Tissot in Brunoff at the John Rylands

By a follower of (James) Jacques-Joseph Tissot, French, 1836-1902. Gouache on board.

By a follower of (James) Jacques-Joseph Tissot, French, 1836-1902. Gouache on board.


By a follower of (James) Jacques-Joseph Tissot, French, 1836-1902. Gouache on board.


By a follower of (James) Jacques-Joseph Tissot, French, 1836-1902. Gouache on board.


By a follower of (James) Jacques-Joseph Tissot, French, 1836-1902. Gouache on board.