James Tissot, The Flight of the Prisoners, 1896–1902. Gouache on board, The Jewish Museum, New York.
In 1885, the French painter James Tissot (1836–1902) converted to Catholicism and dedicated the rest of his career to biblical subject matter. The Flight of the Prisoners is one of the last paintings Tissot completed. He began the painting in 1896, after returning from his third visit to the Middle East, where he studied the landscape. This preparation is evident in The Flight of the Prisoners, which depicts one of the migrations of the Jews into exile. Tissot pays great attention to the landscape and ancient city in the background.
