Cristo e a Mulher Adúltera (The Woman Taken in Adultery) - Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn

Cristo e a Mulher Adúltera (The Woman Taken in Adultery) - Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn
National Gallery, Londres, Inglaterra
Óleo sobre painel - 83x65 - 1644




The Woman Taken in Adultery is a painting of 1644 by Rembrandt, bought by the National Gallery, London in 1824, as one of their foundation batch of paintings. It is in oil on oak, and 83.8 x 65.4 cm.
Rembrandt shows the episode of Jesus and the woman taken in adultery from the Gospel of Saint John. In this scene, a few Jews, mainly Scribes and Pharisees, tried to catch Jesus condoning disobedience to the Jewish Law, knowing that Jesus pitied wrong-doers. To do this, they produced a woman who had been caught taking part in adultery. Then, they said "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?" Jesus replied, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" (John 8: 3-7).
Rembrandt made Jesus appear taller than the other figures and more brightly lit. In contrast, the Jews are "in the dark" and appear lower. Symbolically, Jesus's height represents his moral superiority over those who attempted to trick him.
A woman weeps on the steps of a shadowy temple, while members of the Jewish ruling council gather round. Afraid of Christ’s popular preaching, they planned to trick him into transgressing the Jewish law. They said to him: “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. What do you say about her?”
This is the moment of decision that could entrap the young preacher. A man puts his finger to his lips as if hushing the crowd. Will Christ plead for mercy or will he uphold the law? It seems that either way, he will be condemned as well as the woman.
His reply became one of the most famous quotations in the history of Christianity: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” The woman was released, the accusers confounded. Christ was free to preach again, but not without a parting word to the repentant woman: “Go and sin no more.”