The Coming of the Messiah and the Destruction of Babylon

Image credit: Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives

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Smauel Colman's religious faith was crucial to his work and this painting contains complex symbolism. Its theme comes from the Old Testament's Book of Isaiah, which foretold the coming of Christ and his gift of salvation. He appears three times: as the risen Christ treading down the serpent which represents Satan, as the infant Christ the saviour, and as the good shepherd, leading his flock away from danger. High in the background, an angel daintily dispatches a mountain top upon the doomed city of Babylon.

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery

Bristol

Title

The Coming of the Messiah and the Destruction of Babylon

Date

c.1832

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 137.2 x W 190.5 cm

Accession number

K4219

Acquisition method

purchased with the assistance of the Victoria and Albert Museum Purchase Grant Fund, 1973

Work type

Painting

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