Jesus Appearing to the Three Marys

Jesus Appearing to the Three Marys by Laurent de La Hyre

The Artist: Laurent de La Hyre

Laurent de La Hyre (1606–1656) was a prominent French Baroque painter, known for his refined and contemplative style. A founding member of the French Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, La Hyre played a significant role in shaping classical French painting during the 17th century. His works are distinguished by their clarity, serenity, and subtle emotional resonance, reflecting both classical and religious themes with intellectual depth and sensitivity.

La Hyre trained in Paris, absorbing influences from Italian masters while remaining committed to the nascent French classicism championed by Nicolas Poussin. His oeuvre encompasses mythological, biblical, and allegorical subjects, with an emphasis on luminous color, balanced compositions, and idealized figures.

Historical Context of the Artwork

“Jesus Appearing to the Three Marys,” painted in 1656, emerges from a period in France marked by religious fervor and the consolidation of royal authority under Louis XIV. The painting was commissioned for the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, signifying its importance for public devotion and ecclesiastical prestige. This era saw heightened production of religious art intended to inspire faith and reinforce Catholic doctrine in response to the Reformation and the growing influence of Protestantism.

The subject of the painting—the appearance of the resurrected Christ to the women at the tomb—was particularly resonant in Counter-Reformation Europe. Catholic artists like La Hyre aimed to evoke piety while adhering to the Church’s emphasis on clarity, decorum, and emotional engagement through sacred imagery.

Religious and Cultural Significance

The encounter between Jesus and the Three Marys is recounted across the Gospels. According to Christian tradition, after the crucifixion, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Mary Salome went to Jesus’ tomb to anoint his body. Instead, they became the first witnesses to the Resurrection—a foundational event in Christian theology, symbolizing hope, renewal, and the triumph of life over death.

In painting this scene, La Hyre underscores the vital role of women as the initial heralds of the Resurrection. The presence of the Marys not only asserts their devotion but also aligns with the Catholic Church’s veneration of female saints and the Virgin Mary, reinforcing themes of faith, witness, and redemption.

Symbolism and Iconography

La Hyre’s composition is imbued with symbolic elements that guide the viewer’s contemplation of the Resurrection mystery. Jesus is depicted with luminous garments, emphasizing his divine and glorified nature post-Resurrection. His gesture, often interpreted as one of blessing or reassurance, speaks to the message of peace extended to the faithful.

The three women are portrayed with vessels of ointment, referencing their original purpose at the tomb. These jars symbolize ritual purity, loving devotion, and the anointing customarily bestowed upon the dead—transformed in the Resurrection narrative into instruments of witnessing new life. The inclusion of a radiant landscape in the background signifies the dawning of a new era of salvation.

Colors, too, bear symbolic meanings. The white and gold drapery signifies purity, divinity, and triumph over death, while the subdued garments of the women reflect humility and mourning, gradually giving way to the hope and light brought by Christ’s presence.

Artistic Techniques

“Jesus Appearing to the Three Marys” demonstrates La Hyre’s mastery of classical composition and subtle emotional dynamics. The figures are arranged to create a harmonious triangular configuration, directing the eye toward Christ as the focal point. This structure lends stability and calm to the scene, reinforcing the spiritual serenity suggested by the narrative.

La Hyre utilizes soft, diffused light to bathe the characters, enhancing the dreamlike quality and spiritual radiance of the event. Delicate color transitions and nuanced modeling of flesh convey gentle movement and psychological depth, avoiding theatrical excess in favor of quiet reverence.

The landscape background, rendered with atmospheric perspective, expands the pictorial space and suggests the infinite, inviting viewers to meditate on the spiritual implications of the Resurrection. La Hyre's brushwork is precise yet restrained, heightening the clarity and legibility essential in religious art of the time.

Cultural Impact

The painting’s enduring impact lies in its devotional purpose and its contribution to the evolution of French classicism. As a public commission for Notre-Dame, “Jesus Appearing to the Three Marys” stood as both an artistic and theological statement within one of France’s most emblematic cathedrals.

La Hyre’s interpretation of this biblical episode influenced subsequent generations of artists by demonstrating how sacred stories could be depicted with restraint, dignity, and emotional resonance. His style bridged the grandeur of Baroque spirituality with the measured harmony of classical aesthetics, shaping the trajectory of religious painting in France.

Today, the artwork continues to be studied as an exemplar of 17th-century French religious art—valued for its spiritual depth, compositional clarity, and luminous handling of both human figures and divine revelation.

Sources

• Nathalie Volle, Laurent de La Hyre (1606-1656): Un peintre du Grand Siècle (Paris: Réunion des Musées Nationaux, 1988).
• The Louvre Museum: Jesus Appearing to the Three Marys - Laurent de La Hyre
• Metropolitan Museum of Art – Timeline of Art History: Laurent de La Hyre (1606–1656)
• Anne Sutherland Harris, Seventeenth-Century Art & Architecture (London: Laurence King Publishing, 2005).
• Catholic Encyclopedia: Entry on Mary Magdalene and the Three Marys