Details
SEBASTIAN BOURDON (MONTPELLIER 1616-1671 PARIS)
Presenting the Bikkurim (first fruits) at the Temple
oil on canvas
5538 x 3434 in. (140.7 x 88.2 cm.)
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Lot Essay

This newly-discovered painting depicts a rare subject: the bringing of the Bikkurim (first fruits) to the Temple in Jerusalem for sacrifice. The ritual is described in the Old Testament, Deuteronomy 26:1-11, which states "that you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you will bring from your land, which the Lord, your God, is giving you. And you shall put [them] into a basket and go to the place which the Lord, your God, will choose to have His Name dwell there". The ceremony was part of the Jewish festival of Shavuot, which celebrates the annual grain harvest and commemorates the anniversary of the giving of the Torah to the people of Israel at Mt. Sinai. Traditionally, this annual tithe consisted of the seven species of fruits produced in the land of Israel, as described in Deuteronomy 8:8, namely, wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates.
We are grateful to Arnauld Brejon de Lavergnée for endorsing the attribution to Sébastien Bourdon on the basis of photographs (written communication, 8 August 2022).

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