Collections: European Art: The First Nail (Le premier clou)

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The First Nail (Le premier clou)

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

While Mark devotes just a single verse to the act of crucifixion, Tissot describes the process in exacting detail in four images and his accompanying published commentaries. Following first-century Roman sources, he considers the physical restraints the executioners probably employed to bind Jesus securely to the cross. He concludes that ropes must have been required, in addition to nails, to keep the elevated body from collapsing under its own weight. At right, the Virgin Mary and others look on in horror.


• Artist: James Tissot, French, 1836-1902
• Medium: Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper
• Place Made: France
• Dates: 1886-1894
• Dimensions: Image: 7 13/16 x 12 11/16 in. (19.8 x 32.2 cm) Sheet: 7 13/16 x 12 11/16 in. (19.8 x 32.2 cm)
• Signature: Signed bottom right: "J.J. Tissot"
• Collections: European Art
• Museum Location: This item is on view in Robert E. Blum Gallery, 1st Floor
• Accession Number: 00.159.292
• Credit Line: Purchased by public subscription
• Image: Overall, 00.159.292_PS2.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2008
James Tissot (French, 1836-1902). The First Nail (Le premier clou), 1886-1894. Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper, Image: 7 13/16 x 12 11/16 in. (19.8 x 32.2 cm) Sheet: 7 13/16 x 12 11/16 in. (19.8 x 32.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchased by public subscription, 00.159.292 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 00.159.292_PS2.jpg)