The Incredulity of Thomas

Hendrick ter Brugghen, c. 1622

Thomas simply could not believe that Christ had actually risen from the dead. His doubts were dispelled only when he had seen and touched the wounds in Christ’s side and hands himself. Emulating his great model Caravaggio, Ter Brugghen portrayed Christ and his followers with craggy faces and wrinkled, rough hands.

  • Artwork typepainting
  • Object numberSK-A-3908
  • Dimensionssupport: height 108.8 cm x width 136.5 cm
  • Physical characteristicsoil on canvas

Identification

  • Title(s)

    • The Incredulity of Thomas
    • The Incredulity of St Thomas

  • Object type

  • Object number

    SK-A-3908

  • Description

    De ongelovige Tomas. Christus staat temidden van zijn discipelen. Tomas voelt met zijn vinger in de wond in Christus'zij. Rechts kijkt een oude discipel met een bril op zijn neus aandachtig toe, links twee andere leerlingen.

  • Part of catalogue

Creation

  • Creation

    painter: Hendrick ter Brugghen

  • Dating

    c. 1622

  • Search further with

Material and technique

  • Physical description

    oil on canvas

  • Dimensions

    support: height 108.8 cm x width 136.5 cm

This work is about

  • Subject

Acquisition and rights

  • Credit line

    Purchased with the support of the Stichting tot Bevordering van de Belangen van het Rijksmuseum

  • Acquisition

    purchase 1956

  • Copyright

    Public domain

  • Provenance

    …; ? sale, Abraham Peronneau, Amsterdam, 13 May 1687 (‘4 voet 4 duim bij 4 voet’ [123.4 x 113.1 cm]);{De Bie 1708, p. 276.}…; ? sale, Sir George Pauncefote, London (John White), 20 (24) January 1809 _sqq._, no. 40, as Honthorst (‘The Unbelief of St. Thomas’);…; ? sale, John Plura (†), Bath (Christie’s), 24 (25) June 1833 _sqq._, no. 72, as Honthorst (‘The Incredulity of St. Thomas’), £ 1 18s, to Fassell;…; collection Samuel Jackson, London;{Jackson 1922; London 1956, no. 15.} his brother, Brockville, Canada, early 1880s;{Jackson 1922; Jackson 1958, pp. 13-14.} his daughter, Geneva Jackson (1865-1951), Berlin (Kitchener), Canada, 1922-51; on loan from her estate to The National Gallery of Art, Ottawa, The Art Gallery of Toronto, and the Laing Gallery, Toronto, consecutively;{Jackson 1922; Jackson 1958, p. 14.} $ (Canadian) 2,000, to P. & D. Colnaghi Company, London, through the mediation of her nephew, A.Y. Jackson, and G. Blair Laing, 1956;{Jackson 1922; Jackson 1958, pp. 13-14; Laing 1979, pp. 120-21.} from whom, fl. 19,186, to the museum as a gift from the Fotocommissie, 1956

  • Remarks

    Please note that this provenance was formulated with a special focus on provenance research for the years 1933-45 and could therefore be incomplete. There may be more (mostly earlier) provenance information known in the museum. In case this item has an uncertain or incomplete provenance for the years 1933-45, the Rijksmuseum welcomes information and assistance in the investigation and clarification of the provenance of all works during that era.

Documentation

  • Gregor J.M. Weber, Ter Brugghen's lost Martyrdom of St Bartholomew : what a copy can tell, uit: Simiolus : kunsthistorisch tijdschrift, 38, 2015-2016, 4, pagina 250-259 - p. 253, fig. 4

Related objects

  • Related

Persistent URL

Questions?

Do you spot a mistake? Or do you have information about the object? Let us know!