Old Masters · Isaiah 11:1 · 5 October 2026 · 3 works

The Stem of Jesse

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

For Advent: the prophet Isaiah and the tree that grows from Jesse.

The prophet has been reading. Now he turns his head towards a child who calls him and points behind him; his fingers are still in the book to keep the place.

Michelangelo, The Prophet Isaiah, 1509 — **Michelangelo**, The Prophet Isaiah, 1509

Jesse, the father of King David, lies asleep in a walled garden. From his body grows a tree, and in its branches sit the kings of Judah in the fashion of the painter's own time. At the very top are Mary and the child.

Geertgen tot Sint Jans (circle), The Tree of Jesse, c. 1500 — **Geertgen tot Sint Jans (circle)**, The Tree of Jesse, c. 1500

In the middle Mary lies in a cave under a wooden roof, the child in the manger behind her, ox and ass looking in. To either side stands a prophet with a scroll, as if the two had been waiting there for centuries.

Duccio di Buoninsegna, The Nativity with the Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel, 1308–11 — **Duccio di Buoninsegna**, The Nativity with the Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel, 1308–11