The Story
In all four canonical gospels of the Christian New Testament, the cleansing of the Temple narrative tells of Jesus expelling the merchants and the money changers from the Temple in Jerusalem. In this account Jesus and his disciples travel to Jerusalem for Passover, where Jesus expels the merchants and consumers from the temple, accusing them of turning it into "a den of thieves" (in the synoptic Gospels) and "a market" (in the Gospel of John) through their commercial activities.
Most historians agree that an actual event took place, although some scholars believe that the accounts refer to two separate incidents. The scene is a common motif in Christian art.
Executed in Oil on wood, measuring 25 x 19 1/4 in. (63.5 x 48.9 cm), the surface rewards close looking. Rembrandt builds the composition through layered glazes and a tightly controlled palette, letting cool shadows recede so that the warm, lit passages step forward. The brushwork shifts from the precise to the almost dissolved — a hallmark of mature Baroque practice.
“A silence so complete it becomes its own witness.”
