Elijah Revives the Son of the Widow of Zarephath

The Bible in Pictures(published in Dresden in 1852-60), Schnorr von Carosfeld's most famous work, included 240 woodcut illustrations and took him some forty years to complete.

This drawing illustrates a passage from the Old Testament, when the prophet Elijah implores God to heal a widow's child. The widow prays in the background while in the foreground the child extends both arms, miraculously coming back to life as God answers Elijah's plea. The rigorous economy of line and the masterful manipulation of light and shade give the composition a strong visual impact.