“The Vision of Ezekiel: The Valley of Dry Bones”
Here is a biblical piece from a Pre-Raphaelite artist.
“The Vision of Ezekiel: The Valley of Dry Bones” is a watercolor and pencil on paper painting by the English artist, John Roddam Spencer Stanhope. It dates to sometime in the late nineteenth to early twentieth century. It was one of Stanhope’s later works that remained in his possession until his death.
Ezekial was a prophet of the Old Testament. He was with the Hebrews when they were exiled to Babylon in 597 BC. During his exile, along the banks of Khabur River, Ezekial experienced a number of prophetic visions. Many were about the apocalypse at the end of the world.
In this piece, Stanhope depicts a passage from the Old Testament. In the Book of Ezekial, chapter 37, Ezekial is set down by the Lord into a valley full of dry bones. He is commanded by God to prophesy and the bones come to life, assuming flesh, sinews, skin, and breath, until they represent a vast army. This was often interpreted as the great resurrection of humanity at the end of the world.
Stanhope portrays Ezekial as an old man with a great long white beard. He clutches his chin and beard with his right hand, focused in thought. His left hand is lifted, as he prepares to prophesy.
The full text from Ezekiel, Chapter 37 is as follows:
The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’”
This piece was exhibited at the Royal Academy of art in 1902. It was the first time in decades that Stanhope had shown his work there. Stanhope’s asthma forced him to spend the winters in Florence in a milder climate, and since 1880, had lived in Florence full time. The painting remained in his possession until his death in 1908.
“The Vision of Ezekiel: The Valley of Dry Bones” is currently in a private collection, having recently sold in 2021 for £30,250.
For more on John Roddam Spencer Stanhope, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
