Christ Expelling the Money-Changers from the Temple
- Artist
- Nicolas Colombel, French, 1644–1717
- Date
- 1682
- Material
- Oil on canvas
- made in
- Rome, Lazio region, Italy, Europe
- Classification
- Paintings
- Current Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 47 x 34 3/4 in. (119.4 x 88.3 cm)
framed: 59 11/16 x 47 3/8 x 5 1/2 in. (151.6 x 120.3 x 14 cm) - Credit Line
- Gift of Andrew W. Johnson, Mrs. J. Russell Forgan, and Mrs. Bradford Shinkle in memory of Mrs. Jackson Johnson
- Rights
- Contact Us
- Object Number
- 11:1957
NOTES
Rich colors, carefully drawn bodies, and studied gestures and expressions add to the easy legibility of this painting. The subject concerns a story told in the New Testament, where Jesus (in red robe and blue cape) came upon merchants and money-changers who were defiling the temple through commerce. Declaring it a place of prayer, he forcefully demanded their departure. The artist made this picture in Rome, and was one of a group of painters who sought inspiration in the clarity and drama of ancient sculpture. The background is copied from the interior of the Pantheon, a famous Roman temple of the second century that still stands today.
Provenance
1682 -
Private Collection, Paris, France, acquired from the artist [1]
by 1710 -
Father Gilbert, Grand-Augustins Monastery, Paris, France [2]
- 1787
Private Collection, Oxfordshire, England [3]
1787/05/09 -
Jean-Baptiste-Pierre Le Brun (1748-1813), Paris, France, purchased at auction, Christie's, London, May 9, 1787, lot no. 94 [4]
- 1806
Robert Hulse, Blackheath, England
1806/03/21 - 1925
John Bligh, 4th Earl of Darnley (1767-1831), Cobham Hall, Kent, England, purchased at the sale of the collection of Robert Hulse, Christie's, London, March 21, 1806, lot nos. 64, 65; Edward Bligh, 5th Earl of Darnley (1795-1835), Cobham Hall, Kent, England, by inheritance; John Stuart Bligh, 6th Earl of Darnley (1827-1896), Cobham Hall, Kent, England, by inheritance; Edward Henry Stuart Bligh, 7th Earl of Darnley (1851-1900), Cobham Hall, Kent, England, by inheritance; Ivo Francis Walter Bligh, 8th Earl of Darnley (1859-1927), Cobham Hall, Kent, England, by inheritance [5]
1925/05/01 -
Bromhead & Cutts, Inc. (H. W. Bromhead), London, England, and New York, NY, USA, purchased at the sale of the collection of the Earl of Darnley, Christie's, London, May 1, 1925, lot nos. 90, 91 [6]
- 1957
Mrs. Jackson Johnson, St. Louis, MO
1957 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, given by the heirs of Mrs. Jackson Johnson [7]
Notes:
The pendant paintings in the Saint Louis Art Museum, "Christ Expelling the Money-Changers from the Temple" (11:1957) and "Christ Healing the Blind" (12:1957) share the same provenance.
[1] According to Dezallier d'Argenville, the artist sent the painting and its pendant from Rome to an unknown collection in Paris in 1682 along with "Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery" in the collection of the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Rouen, France, and "Mary Magdalen Brought before Christ" in the collection of the Museum and Picture Gallery, Baroda, Vadordara, India [Dezallier d'Argenville, Antoine Joseph. "Abrégé de la vie des plus fameux peintures, avec leurs portraits graves en taille-douce, les indications de leurs pricipiaux ouvrages, quelques réflexion sur leurs caractères, el la maniere de connoître les desseins et les tableaux des grands maîtres, par M. de l'Académie royale des sciences de Montpellier." Vol. 3. Paris: De Bure l'aîne, 1745-52, pp. 229-30; Dezallier d'Argenville, Antoine Joseph. "Abrégé de la vie des plus fameux peintures" Vol. 4. Paris, 1762; (Reprint) Geneva: Minkoff Reprints, 1972, p. 227].
[2] A 1970 publication mentions that the two paintings were in Father Gilbert's collection in 1710 when Jean-Marc Nattier made drawings of the works [Blunt, Anthony. "Nicolas Colombel." "Revue de l'Art," vol. 9 (1970), pp. 27-28; Salmon, Xavier. "The drawings of the Jean-Marc Nattier: Identifying the Master's Hand." "Apollo," vol. CXLVI, no. 429 (November 1997), pp. 5, 11].
[3] The 1787 sales catalogue does not state the owner of the collection except that he formerly resided in Oxfordshire, England. According to an annotated copy of the sales catalogue, the paintings were purchased by 'De Brun' or 'Le Brun' ["Catalogue of a Capital Collection of Italian, French, Flemish and Dutch Pictures, the Property of a Man of Fashion, Deceased." Christie's, London, May 9, 1787, lot no. 94, p. 8-9; copy in SLAM document files]. Anthony Blunt notes that the buyer was probably Le Brun, rather than De Brun since Jean-Baptist Pierre Le Brun was a well-known art dealer in the 18th century, who was also married to the celebrated artist Elisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun [letter dated September 2, 1969, SLAM document files].
[4] See note [3]. Both paintings were sold as the same lot number.
[5] The name "Earl Darnley" is listed in an annotated copy of the 1806 sales catalogue ["A Catalogue of the Truly Capital and Highly Valuable Collection of Pictures." Christie's, London, March 21-22, 1806, lot nos. 64, 65, p. 11; copy in SLAM document files]. The paintings remained in the family's collection at Cobham Hall until 1925 when both paintings were purchased by H. W. Bromhead (Bromhead & Cutts, Inc.) at auction ["A Catalogue of the Truly Capital and Highly Valuable Collection of Pictures." Christie's, London, March 21-22, 1806, lot nos. 64, 65, p. 11; "Catalogue of Important Pictures of Old Masters, the Property of Rt. Hon. the Earl of Darnley." Christie's, London, May 1, 1925, lot nos. 90, 91].
[6] See note [5].
[7] Correspondence between the heirs of Mrs. Johnson (Mrs. Russell J. Forgan, Mrs. Bradford Shinkle, and Andrew Johnson) and former Director Charles Nagel discuss their donation of the paintings to the Museum [letters dated February 8-August 21, 1957, SLAM document files]. Minutes of the Administrative Board of Control of the City Art Museum, February 7, 1957.
Private Collection, Paris, France, acquired from the artist [1]
by 1710 -
Father Gilbert, Grand-Augustins Monastery, Paris, France [2]
- 1787
Private Collection, Oxfordshire, England [3]
1787/05/09 -
Jean-Baptiste-Pierre Le Brun (1748-1813), Paris, France, purchased at auction, Christie's, London, May 9, 1787, lot no. 94 [4]
- 1806
Robert Hulse, Blackheath, England
1806/03/21 - 1925
John Bligh, 4th Earl of Darnley (1767-1831), Cobham Hall, Kent, England, purchased at the sale of the collection of Robert Hulse, Christie's, London, March 21, 1806, lot nos. 64, 65; Edward Bligh, 5th Earl of Darnley (1795-1835), Cobham Hall, Kent, England, by inheritance; John Stuart Bligh, 6th Earl of Darnley (1827-1896), Cobham Hall, Kent, England, by inheritance; Edward Henry Stuart Bligh, 7th Earl of Darnley (1851-1900), Cobham Hall, Kent, England, by inheritance; Ivo Francis Walter Bligh, 8th Earl of Darnley (1859-1927), Cobham Hall, Kent, England, by inheritance [5]
1925/05/01 -
Bromhead & Cutts, Inc. (H. W. Bromhead), London, England, and New York, NY, USA, purchased at the sale of the collection of the Earl of Darnley, Christie's, London, May 1, 1925, lot nos. 90, 91 [6]
- 1957
Mrs. Jackson Johnson, St. Louis, MO
1957 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, given by the heirs of Mrs. Jackson Johnson [7]
Notes:
The pendant paintings in the Saint Louis Art Museum, "Christ Expelling the Money-Changers from the Temple" (11:1957) and "Christ Healing the Blind" (12:1957) share the same provenance.
[1] According to Dezallier d'Argenville, the artist sent the painting and its pendant from Rome to an unknown collection in Paris in 1682 along with "Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery" in the collection of the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Rouen, France, and "Mary Magdalen Brought before Christ" in the collection of the Museum and Picture Gallery, Baroda, Vadordara, India [Dezallier d'Argenville, Antoine Joseph. "Abrégé de la vie des plus fameux peintures, avec leurs portraits graves en taille-douce, les indications de leurs pricipiaux ouvrages, quelques réflexion sur leurs caractères, el la maniere de connoître les desseins et les tableaux des grands maîtres, par M. de l'Académie royale des sciences de Montpellier." Vol. 3. Paris: De Bure l'aîne, 1745-52, pp. 229-30; Dezallier d'Argenville, Antoine Joseph. "Abrégé de la vie des plus fameux peintures" Vol. 4. Paris, 1762; (Reprint) Geneva: Minkoff Reprints, 1972, p. 227].
[2] A 1970 publication mentions that the two paintings were in Father Gilbert's collection in 1710 when Jean-Marc Nattier made drawings of the works [Blunt, Anthony. "Nicolas Colombel." "Revue de l'Art," vol. 9 (1970), pp. 27-28; Salmon, Xavier. "The drawings of the Jean-Marc Nattier: Identifying the Master's Hand." "Apollo," vol. CXLVI, no. 429 (November 1997), pp. 5, 11].
[3] The 1787 sales catalogue does not state the owner of the collection except that he formerly resided in Oxfordshire, England. According to an annotated copy of the sales catalogue, the paintings were purchased by 'De Brun' or 'Le Brun' ["Catalogue of a Capital Collection of Italian, French, Flemish and Dutch Pictures, the Property of a Man of Fashion, Deceased." Christie's, London, May 9, 1787, lot no. 94, p. 8-9; copy in SLAM document files]. Anthony Blunt notes that the buyer was probably Le Brun, rather than De Brun since Jean-Baptist Pierre Le Brun was a well-known art dealer in the 18th century, who was also married to the celebrated artist Elisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun [letter dated September 2, 1969, SLAM document files].
[4] See note [3]. Both paintings were sold as the same lot number.
[5] The name "Earl Darnley" is listed in an annotated copy of the 1806 sales catalogue ["A Catalogue of the Truly Capital and Highly Valuable Collection of Pictures." Christie's, London, March 21-22, 1806, lot nos. 64, 65, p. 11; copy in SLAM document files]. The paintings remained in the family's collection at Cobham Hall until 1925 when both paintings were purchased by H. W. Bromhead (Bromhead & Cutts, Inc.) at auction ["A Catalogue of the Truly Capital and Highly Valuable Collection of Pictures." Christie's, London, March 21-22, 1806, lot nos. 64, 65, p. 11; "Catalogue of Important Pictures of Old Masters, the Property of Rt. Hon. the Earl of Darnley." Christie's, London, May 1, 1925, lot nos. 90, 91].
[6] See note [5].
[7] Correspondence between the heirs of Mrs. Johnson (Mrs. Russell J. Forgan, Mrs. Bradford Shinkle, and Andrew Johnson) and former Director Charles Nagel discuss their donation of the paintings to the Museum [letters dated February 8-August 21, 1957, SLAM document files]. Minutes of the Administrative Board of Control of the City Art Museum, February 7, 1957.