Collections: European Art: The Anxiety of Saint Joseph (L'anxiété de Saint Joseph)

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The Anxiety of Saint Joseph (L'anxiété de Saint Joseph)

• Portfolio/Series: The Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ (La Vie de Notre-Seigneur Jésus-Christ)

Betrothed but still unmarried, Mary and Joseph do not yet live together, making the news of her unexpected pregnancy a cause of deep concern for Joseph. Ordinarily industrious, as the curled wood shavings around his feet attest, the carpenter hunches over his bench, lost in thought and unable to work. In the hope of catching a glimpse of Mary, he gazes out at the street as women pass carrying jars filled with the day’s water.

Although traditional representations of Joseph show a man of advanced age, Tissot painted him as younger and more robust, arguing in his accompanying commentary that “Rabbinical doctrine” would have regarded the union of an old man and a young girl as a “profanation.” He further asserted that the rigorous demands placed on the Holy Family required a man of vigor.


• Artist: James Tissot, French, 1836-1902
• Medium: Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper
• Place Made: France
• Dates: 1886-1894
• Dimensions: Image: 6 5/16 x 7 13/16 in. (16 x 19.8 cm) Sheet: 6 5/16 x 7 13/16 in. (16 x 19.8 cm)
• Signature: Signed right edge, approximately 4 inches from bottom: "J.J. Tissot"
• Collections: European Art
• Museum Location: This item is on view in Robert E. Blum Gallery, 1st Floor
• Accession Number: 00.159.20
• Credit Line: Purchased by public subscription
• Image: Overall, 00.159.20_PS2.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2007
James Tissot (French, 1836-1902). The Anxiety of Saint Joseph (L'anxiété de Saint Joseph), 1886-1894. Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper, Image: 6 5/16 x 7 13/16 in. (16 x 19.8 cm) Sheet: 6 5/16 x 7 13/16 in. (16 x 19.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchased by public subscription, 00.159.20 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 00.159.20_PS2.jpg)